The Thing: Our fascination with objects that aren’t what they seem
The Thing: Our fascination with objects that aren’t what they seem
Giggle-inducing trompe l’oeil knick-knacks have infiltrated curio shops all over the city lately (see the Drake Hotel General Store, Bergo, Up to You, Rolo). Hence the nostalgia-inducing cassette tape that turns out to be an iPhone case, the tea towel designed to mimic loose-leaf paper, and that ubiquitous white ceramic mug that looks like a Styrofoam takeout coffee cup. This season, the phenomenon has spread beyond novelty gifts and inspired both high fashion and home decor. A playful, laser-etched rug by Toronto design studio Moss and Lam is expensive cowhide made to look like old-fashioned wood-grain floorboards—the ultimate union of familiar and surreal, rustic and glam.
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/shopping/the-thing-our-fascination-with-objects-that-arent-what-they-seem/&title=The Thing: Our fascination with objects that aren’t what they seem&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/the-thing-jan2011.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_49828" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="Laser-etched 4’x6’ faux wood rug, $2,600. Hollace Cluny, 1070 Yonge St., 416-968-7894 (Images: Natasha V)"][/caption]
Giggle-inducing trompe l’oeil knick-knacks have infiltrated curio shops all over the city lately (see the Drake Hotel General Store, Bergo, Up to You, Rolo). Hence the nostalgia-inducing cassette tape that turns out to be an iPhone case, the tea towel designed to mimic loose-leaf paper, and that ubiquitous white ceramic mug that looks like a Styrofoam takeout coffee cup. This season, the phenomenon has spread beyond novelty gifts and inspired both high fashion and home decor. A playful, laser-etched rug by Toronto design studio Moss and Lam is expensive cowhide made to look like old-fashioned wood-grain floorboards—the ultimate union of familiar and surreal, rustic and glam.){kind=link}