Fashion Monday with JJ Lee

How is one of the world's most ancient building materials getting a high-tech makeover? VBD found out with a visit the Architectural Centre Gallery in Vancouver and the exhibition, " Future Wood ". The exhibition features building designs and concepts that use wood with a high-tech treatment. Whether it involves laser cutting or computer-aided wood routing, the projects are intended to show off wood as a material of the 21st century. Oliver Neumann curated the show. He's a professor of architecture at the University of British Columbia and practices architecture in Vancouver. And he gave VBD a tour .

Photograph by Yvette St. Amant Tuesday night, I moderated a discussion with interior designer Robert Ledingham at the presentation centre for Stirling House, a development near the Vancouver School of Theology at Point Grey. Ledingham designed ten suites in the luxury building, branded the Ledingham Collection. Potential buyers, Ledingham fans and former clients (I assume they are the one and the same) were in attendance. We talked about Ledingham's 40 year career and how he has epitomized west coast style with his early years of practice at Thompson Berwick and Pratt and later in his collaborations with distinguished Vancouver architects like James Cheng, Peter Busby, and Arthur Erickson. Ledingham was a delightful presenter and it was quite a novel experience for me.

The Graphic Designers of Canada awarded typographer Jim Rimmer an honourary fellowship at its general meeting in Montreal. Scott Cohen, who recently had his design for Gastropod received a silver medal by Vancouver Magazine's Restaurant Awards , is designing a new Tomato, the iconic Cambie street eatery. The location - behind Mark James on West Broadway. And word is, the time is ripe to bid adieu to the Canada Line chaos at Cambie. Erin Templeton just opened her first boutique at the location of Modernize Tailors. That's 511 Cambie. With her experience in vintage retail, design, and as a green grocer in UK, marvelous Ms. Templeton will definitely turn it into a grand success.

LATEST - The Penny has dropped but VBD thinks her design sense is top notch. Penny's own apartment highlighted her elegant neo-classical minimalism. Her suite featured an antique Recamier chaise longe and some of her grandfather's black and white photographs of flowers. The photos reminded me of the photo studies by German master photographer, Karl Blossfeldt. Beautiful. And it looks like Penny has her grandfather's eye for composition and design. Good luck, Penny. You're VBD's Designer Superstar!!! Previous March Madness is in the Sweet 16 round but for Penelope Page it's the Final 3. The Vancouver-based interior designer is one of the trio remaining in HGTV's Designer Superstar Challenge. VBD had a chance to interview Penny at her home studio. If you want to know if she makes the Finals, tune in tonight at 10 PM to HGTV . Also check out her website .

Bernie Hadley-Beauregard of Brandever, a wine branding expert who is revolutionizing what goes on the bottle of a top-selling label, just posted my interview with him on his website . We met in August at a perfect setting for a discussion about booze and design - a recently opened bar, 1181 (1181 Davie Street). The elegant contemporary-styled bar was created by the team of Battersby and Howat . Listen , 8.3 megs.