House & Home

House & Home began with a simple column called Ask a Designer back in 1986. Advice is in our DNA, and we’ve been asking our favourite designers for their best tips ever since. You’ll find many priceless bits of wisdom in this issue. Some of my favourites are found in the bathroom feature (page 72), like how marrying details such as an industrial-style black metal shower enclosure with graceful French mirrors or brassy mosaic tile is Shirley Meisels’ recipe for the edgy look we want now. Or, how embracing awkward elements like angled ceilings, instead of trying to correct them, can make for a more interesting result. A huge thanks to the 20 designers who shared their sage advice for this issue. Here is some of my own… 1 Worry…

You know who would have loved (and chuckled with glee) if he’d seen the April cover? The late Ted Harrison, who painted the splendid Yukon piece hanging above the fireplace. The room absolutely sings with joyous blue and purple. I was lucky to meet Ted and drive him around Toronto for a day long ago. He was as colourful as his art, and I’m sure he’d toast a wee dram of Glenfiddich (his drink) with the homeowners, who live with not one but two of his canvases. —LINDA GRANFIELD, Etobicoke, Ont. I was so happy to see the renovation of an apartment at Habitat 67 featured in your April issue (“Condo of the Month”). As a teenager in 1967, I found Moshe Safdie’s landmark Brutalist design mesmerizing. Richard Ouellette and…

GOTTA HAVE IT Green is the colour of life. This mossy-hued outdoor armchair with its sage seat cushion looks like it belongs in a garden. Segerön outdoor armchair in Dark Green, $135 (excluding cushion). Ikea. “I WANTED TO BRING TOGETHER PRODUCTS THAT I WOULD PUT IN MY OWN HOME”— Ami McKay SHOP PURE DESIGN SHOPPE With its yellow neon sign and all-black exterior, Pure Design Shoppe from designer Ami McKay is a new store in North Vancouver’s bustling Shipyards District. Ami’s shop grew out of her design firm, Pure Design Inc. “As a designer, I’m always searching for and buying homewares for my clients,” says Ami. The inviting, 1,200-square-foot space is brimming with furniture, art, rugs, baskets and ceramics, all handpicked by Ami. Expect to find a rich mix of…

THE ARTIST: Caroline Monnet is inspired in equal parts by her Anishinaabe and French heritage. Her multidisciplinary practice explores what it means to have a dual identity — and how to reckon with it. Pulling references from her daily life growing up in Quebec, Caroline creates visually vibrant work that is at once playful and serious. THE WORKS: Exploring our contemporary relationship to notions such as “the home” and “our land” seen through both an Anishinaabe and Western lens, Caroline highlights the contrast between these two viewpoints. She grew up in Aylmer, Que., and her parents built and flipped houses on the side. As such, she was surrounded by construction and building materials. These have now become the defining characteristic of her own practice. Using elements such as Styrofoam insulation,…

WHERE TO STAY New: Hôtel St-Thomas This intimate boutique hotel, which has just 23 rooms, is walking distance to Quartier des Spectacles, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal and the Village. The design is a mix of old and new Montreal — the heritage building boasts a cool modern addition at the back. Book a room with a balcony and enjoy the view overlooking the heart of the city. 430 rue Sherbrooke Est, hotelst-thomas.com Classic: Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth This hotel is one of the city’s most storied properties — it even recreated the suite John Lennon and Yoko Ono used for their bed-in, and you can book it! Elegant guest rooms are decorated with mid-century-inspired furniture and colourful accents — don’t miss Marché Artisans in the lobby, a market and café. 900 boulevard…

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