ELLE Decoration - Spring 2024

MIRROR OF THE SOUL : INTERIORS THAT TURN A HOUSE INTO A HOME

9 Publisher’s Note

A foreword by Sophie Banford

10 Brief

What’s new, what’s coming and why we love it

DESIGN

16 Canada’s Craftspeople

Strut Their Stuff

Spread out across some 10 million square kilometres, our country’s artisans move earth, bend steel and work wonders with wood. Here’s a look at some leading northern lights.

The Lido sofa, $16,500 (paoloferrari.com) (southhillhome.com)

EXPERTISE

20 The Tree of Life

Ottawa artist Pooja Pawaskar shows us why wood is her medium of choice, and how she is drawn to the power of wabi-sabi

26 Through a Glass, Brightly Paying tribute to the past while bringing modern flair to a noble tradition is key to artist Jérémie St-Onge’s approach to glass-blowing.

STYLE

34 Leafy Dreams

Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees, but whether it’s a maple, willow, oak or gingko, we can still picture the whole tree from just a leaf.

36 When One Plus One Equals a Thousand

Ontario designers Yabu and Pushelberg are at the top of their game and profession, and their origins have a lot to do with it.

HOMES

46 New Chapter, New Nest

A couple with European roots left the Montreal suburbs and settled in Little Italy. Take a tour of the new home that architecture firm yh2 designed for them.

60 Quiet Time

Overlooking the historic Ontario village of Creemore, a second home serves as a refuge from the bustling world.

72 Hiding in Plain Sight

A house is a reflection of the soul, an extension of oneself. Mexican firm HW Studio is taking that concept to new extremes.

86 Not Your Basic Bungalow

In Victoria, a 1970s bungalow more than meets the minimalist needs of a design-savvy B.C. couple. And the garden completes the picture.

INSPIRATION

100 Fine Dining, Down on the Farm

How two creatives and their love of a few green acres resulted in a delectable, ever-evolving project in Mont-Tremblant.

106 Coming Up Aces

Ace Hotels hold a very good hand. In Toronto, we checked into their first Canadian venture.

114 Perspective

A place, a moment in time, an emotion

115 Showstopper

A culture-crossing object

Cover

Some of ceramicist Janaki Larsen’s unique creations

Just steps from Marché Jean-Talon, in Montreal, architecture firm yh2 created a three-storey gem, with contributions from a handful of local artisans.

Contributors

Age of Indie, Dane Alonso, Michaël A. Bandassak, César Béjar, Maxime Brouillet, Donia Demers, doublespace photography, Muriel Françoise, Marouchka Franjulien, James Jones, William Jess Laird, Catherine Marois, Lauren Miller, Karine Monié, Aurélia Morvan, Louise Nadeau, Carolyne Parent, Ema Peter, Alexandra Petros, Zarya Rubin TO REACH EDITORIAL

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Homegrown and High-Design

(spring /summer 2024)

Last fall , I acquired a wooden cabin on the shore of a lake, north of Montreal. I’d been toying with the idea for a very long time. The little house, built more than 40 years ago, needed a lot of TLC. So I jumped headlong into a major renovation project. Today, aside from the four walls, the roof and the rustic stone fireplace, not much of the original structure remains. And since I was starting everything over at zero, or almost, I also decided to take on the challenge of accomplishing it all while producing zero waste (or almost). In short, I wanted to renovate my small piece of paradise in the most environmentally responsible way possible. And I was pleasantly surprised to discover that in 2024, it’s fairly easy to find eco-friendly options for…almost everything.

So I managed to recycle as much material as I could. I put the original wood back on the walls, used the wood from the staircase to create a new one, and cleaned and sanded the old wood floors to bring them back to life. Over the course of the renos,

I gave away or sold everything I no longer needed, like the doors, windows, cupboards and so on. And to replace it all, I chose local, ecological options. Because, as I soon learned, such products are indeed available! From doors and windows to manufacturers of kitchen and bathroom cabinets, furniture and decor items, the choice is huge. And that’s all to the good. I had so much fun sourcing everything I needed among the offerings of homegrown companies, which produce quality items and materials that are both design-forward and contemporary. I’m thinking, for example, of furniture made of steel from MDT Mobilier, of lighting from Jacques et Anna, of beds from Élément de base and furniture by Kastella, of architectural concrete from Béton Johnstone and decor items by Bocci. In the following pages, you’ll discover my favourite finds from close to home and all across the country. I hope you too can draw inspiration from Canadian know-how!

Happy decorating! —

Sophie Banford, publisher (@sophiebanford)

Photo: Andréanne Gauthier (portrait)

Objects of Desire

We

searched, we found , we marvelled. Gaston Bachelard said, “Man is a creation of desire, not a creation of need.”

WE AGREE .

By Donia Demers, Karine Monié, Aurélia Morvan and Alexandra Petros — Adapted by Christopher Korchin

Glass Act

Clara Jorisch has taken her seat in design circles one chair at a time. After her first ingenious creation, there was another, and more are on the way. Our new fave, the unique, somewhat dreamy Melting Glass, makes our hearts melt. Blending sturdiness with delicacy, the Montreal designer used UV glue to connect the asymmetrical glass sheets of the seat and the backrest to the four irregularly shaped blown-glass legs and spine. Whether it’s an everyday chair or a work of art fit for a museum, that’s up to you to decide. But it wouldn’t be out of place alongside the Ombré by Germans Ermi č s, Shiro Kuramata’s Glass Chair or Cini Boeri’s Ghost. — (Around $11,000, clarajorisch.com) AM

Chair Way to Heaven

With summer finally on the way, it’s time to look forward to a coco-pineapple mocktail, ELLE Decor in hand, while lounging on a Settle In outdoor deck chair. The striped UV-resistant fabric, adjustable headrest and folding structure are all about kicking back. Whether you’re playing Finnish skittles at the local park, relaxing at the neighbours’ pool or holding a garden potluck, bring it along and you’ll make instant friends. —

($450, sundays-company.ca) AM

Seasoning’s Best

Le Creuset is famous for its enamelled cast iron, but it’s shaking things up with the launch of its Minimalist Mills collection. The French kitchen-accessories company has created salt-and-pepper mills with a streamlined look for the 21st century, but they still pay homage to the past. Available in 10 colours, including cerise, sage, white and black in both solid and gradient varieties, and with a plastic exterior and ceramic grinder, these mills are sure to please the modern chef from the very first twist. —

($55 each, or $110 per pair, lecreuset.ca) AM

Memory Walls

Hayley Axelrad’s colourful oils on canvas don’t depict your own past, but you might well identify. Among her many colourful archetypes, there’s a young father proudly posing in a Speedo T-shirt on a summer’s day, the rebel brother with the cigarette on the beach, the moustachioed awkward uncle at the party, and the impeccably coiffed aunt and her twisted cactus. Between neon and pastel brushstrokes, the Toronto artist reshapes scenes of family life that can speak to all of us and charmingly conjure days gone by. —

($320, tacitcollective.com) AM

A New Way to Ikea

Bokea : a Canadian brand whose name conveniently rhymes with that of a certain renowned Swedish giant, and for good reason. The Montreal-based company brings a unique spin to your conventional cabinetry order. Picture this: the affordability of Ikea combined with high-end customizable fronts. How does it work, you ask? Well, you start by ordering the base cabinets from Ikea, and from there you go to Bokea to choose from among 12 front designs in either wood, HDF or polymer. Who knew you could have white-oak fronts in a satin finish built on Ikea cabinets? — (bokea.co) AP

Elemental Opulence

Inspired by the lines found on tree trunks, Bemma’s Terra collection effortlessly exudes warmth and sophistication through its fluted designs. Harmoniously blending wood, metal and stone to craft timeless luxury pieces across their collections, the Quebec brand, co-founded by Mark Wolinsky, who also heads Wetstyle, the manufacturer of bathroom fixtures and furnishings, is all about elegantly balancing natural elements. In a world that is turning its focus inward, spending more time at home has become the norm, so what better way to elevate your space than to add a dash of luxury? —

($3,410, bemmadesign.com) AP

Fluted Designs Are Here to Stay

As fluted craftsmanship continues to be a leading trend, the designers at Maison Corbeil have reimagined the much-loved design by taking its clean lines and forming a curved transparent structure, adding just the right amount of warmth. Family-owned since 1973, Maison Corbeil continues to live out its avant-garde roots, and this fluted shelf is no exception to the company’s spirit. Made from natural mango wood, renowned for its unique grains, the Tessa bookcase delivers a rustic elegance. —

($2,890, maisoncorbeil.com) AP

One, Two, Three

Ninety-six million Etsy users can’t be wrong—that’s a pretty major sample size to tell us what consumers really really want when it comes to customizing and adorning their spaces. We uncovered three hard-to-resist trends. — [1]  FIRST IMPRESSIONS When entering a new space, be it a home or a restaurant, who else’s first thought is, “I wonder what the washroom looks like?” Some may fancy that the washroom sets the tone for the rest of a home and even says something about the personality of whoever designed it. Well, this thought has now developed into the trend of the statement bathroom. To truly show off your personality, opt for captivating pieces like this handcrafted pink concrete sink—it will surely leave an impression. ($915, etsy.com) — [2]  DENIM IS NOT DONE

According to an Etsy trend report, denim and its fade-washed derivatives are having yet another moment in home decor, gaining traction with thousands of listings on the platform since the start of the year. An homage to the ‘70s aesthetic, this durable material can be found in many guises, from cushions to throws, needlepoint, table runners and more. If you’re feeling mood indigo, the time is now. ($59.50, etsy.com) — [3]  BERRY GOOD Berry is bursting in all shapes and sizes this season. From fashion to interiors, there will be no denying its growing presence as the temperatures rise. The romantic yet vibrant colour emanates a feeling of warmth, and this vintage glass pitcher is a testament to that. From Etsy’s wide array of one-of-a-kind pieces, you’ll discover the variety of products this colour can pull off. Seeking a retro edge without going too bold or over-the-top Barbie? Berry might just be the perfect hue for you. ($55, etsy.com)  — AP

Concrete Ideas

From the Pantheon in Rome to Montreal’s Habitat 67 and the incredible structures of the postWWII years, concrete is an essential feature of our world. Now, since its fall launch, Johnstone Béton Architectural, in Granby, Quebec, is using concrete for its collections of single and double kitchen sinks. Formerly specializing in manufacturing tables, countertops and sinks, the company is currently focused on the latter two. And the choice—from the size and colour to the finish—is yours. —

(From $1,646, betonjohnstone.com) AM

Enchanted Little Forests

With but a bundle of lichen , a few twisted branches and an armful of plants that she alone would notice in the wilds, Kay Miller (Studio Sveja) can build brave new gossamer worlds. Dozens of impeccable red roses in cardboard boxes, or artificially dyed blue carnations, are just not her style. The Montreal-based floral artist creates living installations using a highly architectural approach for large-scale events. One exception to the rule? The poetic little floral landscape pictured on page 46 of our feature “New Chapter, New Nest.” — (studiosveja.com) DD

Family Album

Decisions, Decisions

When it comes to coffee , it might be case closed with you. You’re devoted to your espresso, and every step to make it is part of the ritual. Just pressing a button would be anathema to a Scorpio-rising type like yourself. But De Longhi might just change your mind with its right-toolfor-the-job approach. On Rue Bélanger, in Montreal, we recently watched Simon-Pierre Caron, master barista at Caron & frères, perform the simple yet precise movements that are the ballet of concocting a proper coffee—in this case a robust gingerbread moka, aromatic, soft, dense and fragrant, with a lovely amber crema, made with the La Specialista Evo manual machine. It seemed so effortless, we wanted to try making one ourselves. But then along came De Longhi connoisseur Jérôme Chamberland. He stood before the Magnifica Evo automatic machine and pressed one button. Just one! And it delivered the goods. Was his Magnifica joe as good as the Specialista’s? You decide, perhaps depending on whether you like to drive manual or automatic. —

(From $800, delonghi.com) (caronfreres.com) DD

We loved Toronto artist Nour Bishouty’s book entitled 1—130 Selected works, Ghassan Bishouty, b. 1941 Safad, Palestine—d. 2004 Amman, Jordan Drawing on 130 paintings and sculptures created by Ghassan Bishouty, she sheds a highly personal light on her father’s process and blurs the boundaries of their respective artistic lives. Page after page, the rich narration, the graphic power of the material, vibrant colours and the work’s consistency and relevance are thoroughly captivating. Last February, Bishouty was featured at the Quebec City Biennial. She’s an artist to keep an eye on. — ($40, artmetropole.com) (nourbishouty.com) CT

For Your Eyes Only

Think Alice in Wonderland for modern times: That was design studio Schédio’s concept for the brand new location of Mink Lash Boutique, a beauty salon focused on eyelash and eyebrow care. The place, nestled in Vancouver’s Yaletown district, is an enchanting mix of powdery hues and sculptural shapes—a sight for sore eyes. As soon as you enter, a wavelike olive-green structure, which mimics the spectacular chandelier above it, ushers you into a bold feminine world that feels like a visual symphony. — (schediospaces.com) KM

Candle Power

Antoine Benito , the Frenchman behind Montreal firm Luvo, got the idea to inject the best of what is, into the best of what was: a recycled, repurposed bottle of (good) wine. Pear and Magnolia is his latest combo. Concocted in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, this fruit-and-flower blend with eco-friendly, phthalate-free, paraben-free coconut wax will make your head spin—in a good way. The fruit notes slowly give way to floral ones, ending with a patchouli-like woody accent. Does the world need more scented candles? In this case, yes! — (candles $33, eau de parfum $32, porcelain medallions $45, luvocandles.com) DD

Brrrrr…

It’s said that cryotherapy , involving total immersion in ice water (a bracing 4°C), can reduce pain due to inflammation, boost the immune system and curb stress. In Vancouver, the tradition of jumping into English Bay on January 1 has been valued as a hangover cure for more than a century. Personally, I can proudly state that after a session at Othership, the new-gen spa on Toronto’s Adelaide West, I made my way to the other side of the street and then calmly walked up to my 11th-floor hotel room. That’s right, I took the stairs. The idea probably wouldn’t have occurred to me otherwise. Needless to say, before you subject yourself to shock therapy for two long minutes, amid ice cubes floating on the water’s surface, you’ll want to start the ritual (with an experienced guide in charge) with heat (88°C). In the sauna, towels soaked in essential oils take you to a deep level of relaxation. Meanwhile, the 7 a.m. crowd will be chilling on communal banquettes and soaking it all up. Feel the heat, feel the freeze. — (othership.us) CT

Photo: Tina Kulic (Mink Lash Boutique)

Canada’s Craftspeople Strut Their Stuff

Spread out across some 10 million square kilometres, our country’s artisans move earth, bend steel and work wonders with wood. Here’s what some of them have been up to lately.

By Donia Demers — Adapted by Christopher Korchin

Photo: Klee Larsen

“Vancouver is like nowhere else. It’s a merging of different cultures, scenery and lifestyles.”

— Robin Esrock, Vancouver-based travel writer

[Opposite page] Janaki Larsen / Firing Up — It was in Milan that we first discovered the work of ceramicist Janaki Larsen, in the Bocci showroom of all places, where almost nothing not created by Omer Arbel makes it through the door. There’s no use trying to cover her nearly two decades of work in just a few lines, but a picture is worth a thousand words. So enjoy, and admire—we’ll no doubt return to the subject soon. (janakilarsen.com)

[1] Studio Brovhn / Marking the Spot Miguel Brovhn is known for his stunning, minimalist, colourful, versatile collections, like the X-Ref. But get them while you can, since he’s moving more and more into custom orders now. (Two sizes: $375 and $630, studiobrovhn.com)

[3] Bensen Furniture / Creating New Classics — There’s a certain Italian brio that you can sense in every piece of furniture from Vancouver studio Bensen. Maybe that’s because company founder Niels Bendtsen, originally from Denmark, has his creations manufactured in il bel paese The Ribbon Chair (1975) is part of the permanent collection at MoMA. Eccellente. (Homework desk 2, from $2,830 / Tokyo chair, from $1,020, bensen.com)

[2] Kate Duncan / Discussing the Round Table — Creating traditional objects with an unconventional twist and a distinct environmental ethos is what drives Kate Duncan’s design process. The furniture maker offers several large-scale pieces, but also the modestly sized, formally pleasing Nicole table, available in ash, white oak, maple or walnut. (Nicole table, from $3,750, kateduncan.ca)

Photos: Britney Kwasney (Kate Duncan)

Matt Chen (Bensen Furniture)

[1] Blacksaw / Softening Up — Words cannot describe how unbelievably soft Blacksaw’s alpaca wool blankets are. To complement their collections—warm, but light as air—the Toronto duo who founded the company have now added a brand new line named Kimura. Inspired by Canadian forests, it features the soothing, muted tones of the fir trees and leaf-blanketed forest floors we know and love. Get cozy. (From $495, blacksaw.co)

[2] Studio Paulo Ferrari / Looking Beyond — Do you know Yabu Pushelberg? (See our interview on page 36.) That’s the design firm where Paulo Ferrari earned his stripes before launching his eponymous studio. The result: His furniture collections have a youthful flair, but a certain maturity as well. Each of his creations shows how skilled he is at adding just enough boldness to make the familiar look fresh. (Tibur solid travertine lounge, $38,000, paoloferrari.com)

[3] Heidi Earnshaw / Seeing Globally — Artisan

Heidi Earnshaw draws inspiration from far and wide: Japanese and Scandinavian woodworking methods, Shaker furniture, mid-century modernism and classic craftsmanship. No wonder, then, that the distinctive pieces of furniture she creates, usually in oak or walnut, are a skilful blend of several traditions. (Woven stool, a classic revisited, $1,600, heidiearnshawdesign.com)

[4] Lubo Design / Devoting to Detail — Lubo Brezina is a curiosity, in the poetic sense of the term. An architect by training, he settled on wood as his means of expression. From sculptures to furniture and installations, he uses his favourite material to create all sorts of structures. Check out his Animal cherrywood banquette and his series of hockey masks, inspired by Japanese Noh theatre. Go, team! (Toronto Maple Leafs mask, $2,000, lubodesign.com)

Photos: Joel Esposito (Studio Paolo Ferrari) / Daniel Skwarna (Heidi Earnshaw) / Daniel Ehrenworth (Lubo Design)

Toronto is home to 2.7 million immigrants, who make up almost half (46 percent) of the total population. This cultural diversity is a key element of the city’s creativity.

Photo: Daniel Skwarna

Heidi Earnshaw, in her workshop

Ottawa -based artisan POOJA PAWASKAR shows us why wood is far more than just raw material.

By Donia Demers

— Adapted by Zarya

Rubin — Photographs by Age of Indie

The Tree of Life

There is more life in a piece of dead wood than in a living tree. In fact, in a forest a microcosm of organisms populates, even attacks, seemingly inert matter. So much so that a decomposed tree becomes a breeding ground for its colleagues. Even once it’s dried and freed of its inhabitants, wood continues to evolve, break, expand and contract. Until it is perfectly sealed, it continues to absorb or release moisture in perpetual balance with its environment. For adoptive Ottawan Pooja Pawaskar, wood is now an obsession, a vehicle for reflection and a form of expression.

Born in India into a family of hot-tempered engineers, Pooja was still a little girl when she observed her forebear—a carpenter, joiner and model maker— working with his hands. “My grandfather was a simple and sensitive man, with no interest in material possessions—a misunderstood person who celebrated the little things,” she says. “He manufactured wooden pieces with great precision which were then moulded and cast. I worked very little with him, but he passed on to me the philosophical aspects of his approach. He made me understand how wood is more of a collaborator than a material.”

Of Wood and Wabi-Sabi

Woodworking, for Pooja, is surprisingly similar to developing a relationship with a person. For this thoughtful thirtysomething, each piece of wood has its own temperament, personality and characteristics, even its own spirit, because each tree lives a different life.

“In our society, we have created human ideals that we seek to transform into something tangible. When our goal is reached, we create new ones and we develop a sort of contempt for what strays from the norm. In a sense, by striving to become something other than what we are, we are constantly denying a part of ourselves. None of this makes us happy. Acceptance of oneself, as well as of the people around us, is something I think about a lot. Wabi-sabi, which values recognizing and accepting the beauty of the unfinished, the imperfect and the impermanent, has been a significant factor in changing my perception. Wood that cracks or is damaged by insects is beautiful, as are the small defects that we accumulate over the course of a lifetime.”

In the same way that we amass preconceived ideas about people, Pooja believes that we misunderstand the nature of wood, which can also be completely different from one branch to another, just like a family. This is why she refers to her work as a collaboration, rather than a manipulation. “We have to work with the material,” she explains, “use its strengths and weaknesses to our advantage. You can’t force a piece to become something.”

If reconsidering the value of imperfections is a principle that appeals to Pooja, the impermanence of all things is a major concept that became even more important during her stay in the United States.

“In 2016, I was studying at SCAD (the Savannah College of Art and Design), and because my family visits became rarer, my parents’ aging became more apparent to me. I realized that if I added up all the time I would be able to spend with them in the coming years, it would only amount to two or three months more, at most, until they were gone. The question then arose: How

“Each piece of wood has its own history, character and secrets. By slowing down, we can begin to see the treasures it agrees to reveal. The rest remains part of the grain, at its core.”

— Pooja Pawaskar

“While I was studying architecture, my teachers let me know how much better my models made with my grandfather were than my drawings.”

— Pooja Pawaskar

can I make good use of this time I have left with them? Thinking about it from this perspective, all discord becomes meaningless. Time flies. My grandfather, this artist I often refer to, was already suffering from dementia when I started following in his footsteps, so he never got to see my accomplishments. Impermanence therefore requires deep reflection. And action.”

To acquire a wooden piece by Pooja Pawaskar, to touch it, rotate it and examine it from all angles, is to wrestle with these fundamental questions.

“My sculptures are not utilitarian,” she explains, smiling. “I don’t create stools or planters. Their function is to initiate a conversation about beauty and impermanence. We are shaped by time and movement, just as rocks and cliffs are shaped by wind and sea. I seek to recreate this movement to start a conversation, followed by a quiet pause.” — (whirlandwhittle.com)

Opportunity Knocks

SCULPTING IS AN IRREVERSIBLE PROCESS of reduction. Nothing that is removed can be put back. While softer wood is easier to work with, it is also more fragile. For the vases and bowls in her collections, Pooja uses unique pieces, never joined, and dried in the kiln. For her sculptures, she is particularly fond of spalted beech. A soft light beige, this wood is attacked by a fungus that slowly kills its host, creating dotted black lines and patterns similar to marble. Each step of the sanding process alters its effect. Spalted maple, a Canadian product, offers a warmer hue. The artist sometimes also uses raw wood that she collects in the forest and does not rush the drying process. Unstable wood will crack after being carved and produce imperfections that she will then work with. Recently, Pooja got her hands on some barn beams and ran some experiments. Watch for a new collection on the horizon. —

Through a Glass,

Brightly

With his Verre d’Onge brand, artist JÉRÉMIE ST-ONGE turns blown glass into highly evocative vases, both of our time and timeless, that pay tribute to the past while bringing modern flair to a noble tradition.

By Marouchka Franjulien — Adapted by Christopher Korchin —

Photographs by Mickaël A. Bandassak and Nathan Lang

Photos: Mickaël A. Bandassak

It was glass at first sight. When he learned about a program offered by Espace Verre, in partnership with the Institut des métiers d’art du Cégep du Vieux-Montréal, Jérémie St-Onge decided to become a glass blower. A somewhat unconventional trade, to be sure, and pure happenstance led him to it, but he maintains that “it found him” as much as the other way around.

Having begun his studies in 2014, he then left them behind, preferring to gain expertise by practising the art instead. After working for various studios—including Baba Jaga, in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, which specializes in producing pieces for lighting designers, like Lambert & Fils—he ultimately decided to start his own brand. Thus was born Verre d’Onge, in 2019, which he launched with his business partner, Flor Amélia Taillefer-Pérez.

Now able to wield personal control over his creations, St-Onge cultivated his own style, and he wanted to keep things simple. Rather than branching out into designing different sorts of objects, he opted for vases, and only vases. But why, as an

artist, limit yourself? “For simplicity’s sake,” he says. His laconic manner in many ways informs his work.

An ancestral art

Glass changes shape through heat as well as breath, which brings a particular life to every creation. It all starts with an alloy of sand, ash and minerals, fused together at 1,400°C. The molten raw material is removed from the crucible and then worked with a blowpipe, various tools and the help of a furnace, which prolongs malleability before the piece cools and congeals. “We work against time,” says St-Onge. “It’s a physical medium that is quite complex and quite particular for an artist because many different elements interfere in the creative process.” The work itself is created in the instant, or in the space of a few hours at the very most. Decisions must be quickly made, and mistakes are common. The artist needs to learn restraint and moderation, for fear of going too far. And, of course, glass is easily broken. ↦

“Glass is a living material that reveals itself in many different ways.”

— Jérémie St-Onge

Photo: Nathan Lang

Photo: Mickaël A. Bandassak

To help them in this fraught process, every glass blower needs assistants; they can’t go it alone. But this means that they also pass on their knowledge in the heat of the moment. It’s a reciprocal arrangement that has endured for centuries— this trade, whose traces go back to the first century BCE, has changed very little. It is conveyed through the voice, a glance, by the hands that work the tools: the shears, tweezers and thick pads of water-soaked newspaper used to shape glass. St-Onge compares it to learning a musical instrument, which requires dexterity, knowledge and experience to achieve a level of expertise. And time too, which you have to put in by practising tirelessly to evolve from practice to creation.

The vases St-Onge makes today could have been produced 2,000 years ago. So his works are pieces of history that enter into a long tradition. In his collections, glass seems unpolished, diaphanous but never transparent, like those fragments worn down by time that can be found on every beach in the world. Has he ever thought about that? No, but he does have a desire to invoke the past—it’s a common thread in his

art. “I like objects, things that have a history, that show thought, that come from another era and are made by hand,” he says. He is someone who likes to shed new light on what’s been done in the past.

A simple choice

For creative souls, inspiration can come from anywhere. In the case of Jérémie St-Onge, it comes from the world of design, architecture and the museums of archeology and decorative arts that he likes to visit on his travels—like Cluny, in Paris, a repository of medieval art. And then there’s the New York apartment of visual artist Donald Judd, which harbours as many works from the late visual artist’s personal collection as it does simple trinkets from daily life. Indeed, the concept of a home and the context of an object—“what it can create within the whole, in a decor”—fascinates him. And so, vases by Verre d’Onge are versatile: both functional receptacles and stand-alone artworks at the same time. It starts with an

Photo: Nathan Lang

idea, an inspiration that guides breath and hand. “That said, I always let the glass shape and unshape itself as it likes—that’s the interesting energy that arises from an object,” says St-Onge. His streamlined, imperfectly shaped creations have a subdued feel, despite the odd burst of colour—of yellow, blue or orange— that somehow underlines the brand’s ethos of simplicity and timelessness. “Each vase is unique and irreplaceable,” says the artist. “These are pieces you can collect over time.” And who knows—perhaps one day the creations of Verre d’Onge, which somehow bear witness to our times, will find their way into museums that explore the past. — (verredonge.com)

“I like to let the raw material reclaim an idea.”

— Jérémie St-Onge

Photo: Mickaël A. Bandassak

STYLE

Leafy Dreams (PAGE 34) Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees, but whether it’s a maple, willow, oak or gingko, we can still picture the whole tree from just a leaf. — When One Plus One Equals a Thousand (PAGE 36) Ontario designers Yabu and Pushelberg are at the top of their game and profession, and their origins have a lot to do with it.

Leafy Dreams

Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees, but whether it’s a maple, willow, oak or gingko, we can still picture the whole tree from just A LEAF . And as Picasso said, everything you can imagine is real.

By Donia Demers — Adapted by Christopher Korchin

Hooked on Leaves — Vancouver firm Bocci’s 89 collection of brass wall hooks, in four different styles, has a rather leafy look. But each one is as solid as a tree. (From $125, bocci.com)

[4] Bed of Leaves — Montreal firm Montauk went au naturel with the Antoine sofa in a beautifully over-the-top, autumn-coloured cover. But it’s a couch for every season. (From $22,600, montauksofa.com)

[5] Coffee Conundrum — Nespresso recently launched a limited-edition, maple-pecan blend (exclusive to Canada and the U.S.) that has charmed us into a bit of a quandary. But our regular Ristretto will have to wait. We want this now! ($1.40 per capsule, nespresso.com)

[1] Elokuun varjot — If you speak Finnish, you’ll know that elokuun varjot means “August shadows.” And that’s the name of the pattern of this unbleached, recycled, cotton-linen blend from Marimekko. ($45 per metre, marimekkovancouver.com)

[2] An Ode to Oak — Behold this classic from Prague house Artel: a lead-free crystal highball, mouth-blown and engraved by hand. ($250, artelglass.com)

[3] Dated Palm — The vintage-inspired Art Deco Palms wallpaper, designed by Montreal studio Opposite Wall and locally printed, comes in two formats: peel-and-stick or pre-pasted. ($125 for a PVC-free 24” × 108” roll, oppositewall.com)

Photo: Richère Trudeau (Montauk Sofa)

Photo: Yabu Pushelberg (Facebook)

With over 50 projects in the works in some 20 countries (including two in Canada), Ontario designers GEORGE YABU AND GLENN PUSHELBERG are in overdrive, enjoying their multiple victory laps with joy and exuberance. We sat down with them to unravel a few mysteries.

By Céline Tremblay — Adapted by Zarya Rubin

When One Plus One Equals a Thousand

Opposite page — George Yabu, left, and Glenn Pushelberg

A metre-high polished bronze pumpkin, by Yayoi Kusama, graces the bright office space in Toronto’s glamorous Leslieville neighbourhood.

Our virtual meeting feels surprisingly informal. George Yabu, all smiles, talkative, buzzing around his Toronto home in perpetual motion, is the first to join the conversation. Glenn Pushelberg, the tall blond clad in black, calm, focused and articulate, joins shortly thereafter. He had to leave us halfway through to present a project in London, apologizing, but generously leaving me with “the ultimate charmer” (sic), his life partner and associate.

A few days before our meeting, the dandies put on a show at the inauguration of the glittering Moët & Chandon bar they created on the sixth floor of KaDeWe, the upscale department store in Berlin. There, journalists other than myself were treated to a slightly offbeat but no less sparkling encounter, with two men out of breath from their quest for licorice-flavoured chocolates. Being so nonchalant certainly has its charms—as well as cardio benefits, apparently.

In 1980, Yabu and Pushelberg, both natives of Toronto and graduates of Ryerson University,* developed a bond almost blindly when they rented a common workspace following a chance encounter. In a recent article in a local publication, Glenn Pushelberg confided that he very quickly realized the depth of their compatibility thanks to a drawing that they both started on the same sheet of paper, each on their own, with the intention of joining the sketches together in the middle. “The drawing looked like it was done by one hand,”

The Rua Ipanema lounge chair (manofparts.com), a tribute to the sultriness of Rio de Janeiro

he exclaimed. Four decades later, the union has never been so tested, complete and productive. And rewarding. It is also incredibly inspiring to other budding geniuses.

“George and I are like the conductors of a symphony of designers with different backgrounds and areas of expertise— architecture, interior design, industrial design, furniture, textiles and lighting,” explains Glenn. We even have a team dedicated to decorative arts alone. Today, we carry out holistic projects at the heart of which all aspects of design coexist, whether it is a building, an interior, an exterior, a chair or a vase.”

The formula is not new, but it is tried and true. And it has aged well. As evidenced by the legacy of sacred cows like Frank Lloyd Wright, or even Alvar Aalto, who left an indelible mark by considering each project as a stand-alone work of art. Am I exaggerating? Not really. Time will tell.

With a countless number of (anonymous) residences to their credit, commercial spaces (Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., etc.) and luxury hotels (Aman, Five Palm Jumeirah, etc.), Yabu Pushelberg is currently the most revered and coveted design firm on planet Earth. While a few dozen of their creatives have relocated to their New York headquarters, two-thirds remain in Toronto. Yay!

Patriotic pride, what a funny concept. From our perspective, this design duo is virtually flawless. They always sport the perfect shoes, never wear ties, have a relaxed bearing, anxiety seemingly non-existent, complicity on display, explanations well-founded, hesitation... Wait, what hesitation? Without repeating themselves, and rightly so, they have gone from one achievement to the next, constantly ascending in a high-wire act that has now reached the level of “discreet flamboyance,” the pinnacle of good taste.

Because their rise has been steady but gradual, their long apprenticeship seems to be key to their current success. Luxury is also, as they have demonstrated, a state of mind. As we watch them soar, even though we’ve had no hand in their ascent, we can nonetheless take some pride in their triumph. We believe (or we would like to, in any case) that we can recognize something of ourselves in their manner, a maple leaf in their uber-relaxed confidence. Their professional and personal ease shines a light in the prevailing gloom.

So we had a lot of questions to ask them. We managed to get in four or five.

What do you think is the secret to your global success? The world is your oyster, and you are at the top of your game—how did that come about?

Pushelberg Part of our success is based on the fact that we have lived outside the design circuit for a long time. The Italians have more or less all drawn from the same sources. They created what we call “the design mafia,” which for a long time kept everyone out. But, if I may say so without sounding arrogant, our level of design has surpassed this no-trespassing zone. We are the first North American industrial designers to have broken this barrier.

Yabu We’ve been in the industry for 43 years, and in Italy they call us the New Kids on the Block! This goes to show how the community of Italian designers is such a closed circle. That said, they increasingly have to think outside the confines of their family businesses or local connections to find fresh ideas. Our influences differ drastically from those of Europe. We grew up in a country that had not yet developed its own design sensibility. Today, Canadian and American schools produce incredible numbers of very good industrial designers, but there are still very few manufacturers. This is what led us to create collaborations with the Italians, where we are still able to find small family businesses that are keen to advance design.

So there’s a geographical element that explains your ascent?

P Definitely. Twenty-five years ago we decided to open an office in New York. We wanted a change, to enrich our lives, and half of our projects were already happening overseas. All of a sudden our work was exposed to more people, and from there it got a lot easier.

It was not our business that generated a passion, it was our passion that generated a business. That’s very different. There was a period when we had to prove ourselves, work hard, look for new ideas. We now have momentum that allows us to be sought after by major manufacturers. We have incredible projects all over the world, like this massive abandoned building in Lake Como, closed for 40 years, which was a hotel for 170 years. We are also reviving a small modernist building with 41 rooms on the Spetses peninsula, the Hamptons of Greece. And we are working on an old country house at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan. All these projects are the miraculous result of a lifetime of hard work.

What binds you together and serves as a catalyst for your work?

Y Our rigour, our desire to escape boredom, and an unflinching, unfailing, unerring curiosity.

I get my work ethic from my father, who was a boat builder. A boat cannot afford to be poorly built or it will sink. Seeing his precision and attention to detail was very helpful for me. If I have to reduce the thickness of a metal tube by one millimetre, I’ll do it. At the same time, because my parents were interned in camps and lost everything, and because adversity can strike at any time, they taught me to aim to be the best. ↦

* Now Toronto Metropolitan University.

Which of your accomplishments are you most proud of?

P I am very proud that through our work, people have discovered that there are many good designers in Canada and that a large number of them come from our company. Our legacy will not only be our projects, but also a community of people.

Giving back is very important to us. We are an inclusive group and we believe in generosity of spirit. Openness, fairness, the joy that we experience as much as that of our employees, whatever their origins, their sexuality or their past, are values that are important to us. We pay close attention to the people around us and we choose our clients well. We designed and helped build a transition house for gay, lesbian and transgender people in Toronto. We also held a fundraiser for Rainbow Railroad [rainbowrailroad.org]. The charity provides a safe place for LGBTQI+ people at immense risk abroad.

The conversation is coming to a close. Behind George, visitors for his next appointment are filing in. And now, beyond this man in perpetual motion, I see a vibrant green door, the same front door that glowed bright yellow in previous photos. Ignoring the skiff of snow on the ground, George is headed outside to stretch his dashing, 70-year-old calves in the wind, excited to show off his aerobic routines. The next meeting will have to wait a little bit because we went overtime, but the ultimate charmer will know how to honour their presence and share his thoughts without filters or reservation. I’m sure they will unlock one or two more mysteries. — (yabupushelberg.com)

[1] — The designers’ Toronto cottage, tucked away in Bennington Heights.

[2] — Echoing the skyscrapers that shape the Manhattan skyline, the Park Place stool (manofparts. com) is available in two sizes as well as a multitude of finishes and materials.

[3] — The workspaces at Yabu Pushelberg’s New York headquarters, in the heart of Tribeca, are a harmonious architectural blend of new and old.

A view of the living room in the designers’ Toronto home, as it looked before recent transformations

[1] — The Moët & Chandon bar, in Berlin

Nestled in the dunes is the designers’ beach house in Amagansett, East Hampton.

The Echo rug, made from 100 percent Himalayan wool, designed by Yabu Pushelberg and produced by hand in Nepal

HOMES

New Chapter, New Nest (PAGE 46) A couple with European roots left the Montreal suburbs and settled in Little Italy. Take a tour of the new home that architecture firm yh2 designed for them. Quiet Time (PAGE 60)

Overlooking the historic Ontario village of Creemore, a second home serves as a refuge from the bustling world. — Hiding in Plain Sight (PAGE 72) A house is a reflection of the soul, an extension of oneself. Mexican firm HW Studio is taking that concept to new extremes. Not Your Basic Bungalow (PAGE 86) In Victoria, a 1970s bungalow more than meets the minimalist needs of a design-savvy B.C. couple. And the garden completes the picture.

When their children left home, two empty-nesters with European roots decided to leave the Montreal suburbs and settle in Little Italy . Enter ARCHITECTURE FIRM YH2 , who designed a home with an eye on the sky, giving the couple a wide horizon on their latest journey.

A double-height ceiling, numerous windows and thoughtful use of wood make the third floor a pleasant place to inhabit. The smoked-glass Art, Art Wood dining room table (bonaldo.com) is surrounded by Amelie chairs by Hoffmann Kahleyss (freifrau.com); it sits under Illan wood lamps by Zsuzsanna Horvath (luceplan.com). The floral arrangement is a Studio Sveja creation (studiosveja.com). The sculptural ceramic side table is by Zeynep Boyan (zeynepboyan.com).

Text and styling by Muriel Françoise — Text adapted by Christopher Korchin —

Photographs by Maxime Brouillet

New Chapter, New Nest

The fluted surfaces of the kitchen cupboards add a touch of elegance on the living floor. Brass candle holder by Jaime Hayon for Fritz Hansen (goodeeworld.com).

They had a house in a peaceful neighbourhood, with a swimming pool, plenty of space, a tasteful interior—but they were getting restless. With their children grown up and on the verge of setting out on their own, a Montreal couple had plenty of exciting projects, both professionally and personally, but their suburban family home had lost its lustre. They felt an urgent need to be closer to the city’s vibrant core. The family’s Italian origins made it a natural for them to invest in the Marché Jean-Talon neighbourhood, in Little Italy. It was the perfect base for grabbing a coffee or running a few errands between two meetings without having to hop in the car.

The two fortysomethings already owned a building there with six apartments and a large parking lot. It was on this asphalted lot that they chose to build a fresh setting for this new chapter in their lives as empty-nesters. Better still, their property was located right in front of yh2, the architecture studio of Marie-Claude Hamelin and Loukas Yiacouvakis, and they soon found themselves knocking on their door out of curiosity. This turned out to be a win-win for the architects, because with their soonto-be new clients, not only were they getting a chance to take on an exceptional project, they would also be getting rid of an eyesore across the street into the bargain. But they were also faced with a difficult task: finding a harmonious way to blend the styles of very different buildings. “We integrated the square forms of the surrounding multi-dwellings with alternating rear and forward volumes. It was this fragmentation of the shape of the house that allowed us to create a link with the various facades,” explains yh2 co-founder Marie-Claude Hamelin. The brickwork at the front and back of the house took on a weave-like appearance, and the harsh square lines were softened with curves at the base and the top of the house. This was a nod to the Bauhaus architectural language that yh2 had previously employed when renovating the Maison Kirsch, in nearby Outremont.

Curves prevail streetside on the frosted-glass ground floor, where an office and living area (easily convertible to a separate lodging if needed) have been set up. And the theme of sinuous lines continues with the sapele wood planks cladding the block that houses the bathroom and serves to connect these rooms with the residential entrance. We see those lines again on the bedrooms level where the wood furniture is defined by rounded shapes. And the showcase is the third floor, home to the living areas, featuring a space with ample windows, a double-height ceiling and mezzanine. “From here you can see the sky and the outdoors, but it’s not an urban view. You don’t feel like you’re in the city,” says Hamelin. A vaguely surrealist stairway leads to this skyscape and a large terrace overlooking Mount Royal, a delightful spot for the homeowners and their guests on a summer’s day. ↦

Opposite page — Maison Carlier, seen here from thecourtyard, blends seamlessly into the neighbourhood thanks to delicate brickwork and generous use of glass.

The kitchen island, topped with Calcatta Borghini Extra marble, mimics the curved architectural forms used elsewhere in the house. It is matched with a trio of Tractor Stools by Craig Bassam (bassamfellows.com). The owners ordered Yohen Border ceramic field tile (inaxtile.com) for the backsplash. A brass and multicoloured-glass 28 suspension lamp by Omar Arbel (bocci.com) brings a dash of fantasy to this more subdued area.

MESURE 0.1 tumblers by Fusion f. (@fusionf__) and Essence wine glasses by Alfredo Häberli (finnishdesignshop.com) below a photo by Joshua Jensen-Nagle. Porcelain 1616 teapot with cup and saucer by Stefan Scholten and Carole Baijings for Arita (goodeeworld.com).

Wooden stairs that lead to a rooftop terrace off the living room lend warmth to the large, amply windowed floor.

“The outside fades softly into view, with sheer curtains creating intimacy.”

— Marie-Claude Hamelin

[1] — A Standard sofa by Francesco Binfaré (edra.com) lends structure to the large third-floor open space.

[2] — On shelves in the living-room nook, a sculpture by Montreal artist Zeynep Boyan (zeynepboyan.com) and vases by Object and Totem (objectandtotem.com) and Yoona Hur (yoonyounghur.com). The painting is by Peter Hoffer.

Opposite page — Stairs equipped with a steel handrail and guardrail painted in a brass shade bring an additional play of light to the third floor. The comfy midnight-blue sofa sits opposite a Lakes coffee table by Studio Klass (fiamitalia.it). Kipu pouf by Anderssen & Vol (lapalma.it).

“The double-height ceiling helps to delineate the different areas.”

— Marie-Claude Hamelin

[1] — The couple’s bedroom opens onto a bathroom crafted by Ébénisterie Richard Tanguay (ebenisterierichardtanguay.ca) and Inter-meuble (inter-meuble.com). Red Gum veneer and a slab of Piombo Honed quartzite (ciot.com) cover the vanity, whose rounded shape repeats the house’s curved forms. The mirrors and the smoked glass of the shower screen are from Installations J.R. Yohen Border ceramic tile (inaxtile.com) covers the shower walls and one side of the room.

[2] — The walls of the shower area are lined in Yohen Border ceramic tile (inaxtile.com).

Opposite page — Storage space has been integrated into the passageway that connects the bathroom to the owners’ bedroom, which features a walnut bed. Herringbone flooring (fogliedoroparquet. com) evokes the European interiors that served as inspiration for the home’s decor.

Although the couple gave the architects carte blanche for the outside of the house, they were heavily involved in designing the basic decor, drawing inspiration from the many photos they took on trips abroad— especially in Italy and Spain, where one of their sons has been living the last four years—and from their general love of beautiful things. This explains the use of colourful accents and refined materials in this minimalist gem. Indeed, the terrazzo tile on the ground floor recalls the type of flooring typical of Milanese palaces. Among other features, the owners’ pride and joy is the multicoloured ceramic backsplash in the third-floor open kitchen, which they ordered directly from Japan.

Attention to detail, the hallmark of yh2, is found throughout the new home of these two aesthetes. And this extraordinary project owes a great deal to the various artisans who took part in creating it, especially the Carlier brothers, who brought their woodworking mastery to the home’s custom-made elements. Maison Carlier, this innovative home made of brick, glass and wood that sits opposite the studio of the architects who designed it, now bears their name as well as their fingerprints. — (yh2architecture.com)

[1] — An oval block, clad in sapele wood planks, houses the ground-floor bathroom. A small kitchen on the right would allow independent use of this floor, which is currently reserved for work.

[2] — Colosseo Honed terrazzo tile (ciot.com) covers the entire ground floor.

Opposite page — Maison Carlier, streetside, with its weave-like brick facade. Frosted glass gives the owners privacy in the ground-floor living room.

[1]

[2]

ELLE DECO HOMES

Designed by the Toronto firm architects-Alliance (architectsalliance.com) in tandem with the construction company JRB Group (jrb.ca), this country home has four connected buildings that house, from left to right, the bedrooms, the main living area, a laundry wing, the guest bedroom and the games room, and includes a garage that sits perpendicular to the other structures.

Overlooking the historic Ontario VILLAGE OF CREEMORE , a second home serves as a refuge from the bustling world. It’s a minimalist project with maximum emphasis on slowing time down.

By Marouchka Franjulien — Adapted by Christopher Korchin —

QUIET TIME

Photographs by Lauren Miller

[1] — Under a cathedral ceiling in white oak with a natural finish, the living room and dining room offer exceptional views of the countryside, and a colour palette that changes with the seasons.

[2] — Behind two leather chairs from Article (article.com), which sit alongside a round vase by a local potter, the in-ground outdoor pool, which stretches the length of the main living area, can be seen.

Opposite page — The huge 18-foot-high fireplace is the central feature of the living room and a real standout with its contrast of heat-rolled steel and shou sugi ban cedar. This Japanese technique for treating wood was also used for the property’s exterior cladding.

On Friday afternoons , as the sun begins its descent, the owners leave behind the thrum of Toronto and head to Creemore to spend the weekend close to nature, quietly contemplating the sky and the horizon. His parents are long-time owners of a property in the area. That was likely part of the equation when, a few years ago, he and his wife wanted to find their own pied-à-terre to host their children, family and friends. In a part of the province that’s highly popular among skiers, news of houses going up for sale tends to spread by word of mouth, and those places are usually quickly snapped up. After much searching, the couple finally acquired a large parcel of land overlooking the village and the surrounding fields as far as the eye can see. On cloudless days, you can even make out the Niagara Escarpment off in the distance. Though there may have been an old tumble-down shack on the property at one point, no trace of it remains today: The owners decided to build a country home from scratch, a place that would perfectly meet their needs and those of their children, now in university. To carry out this large-scale project, they turned to architect Peter Clewes, director of the firm architects-Alliance, and interior designer Kim Lambert, head of Kim Lambert Design, who by the fall of 2017 was part of the mix. She had previously worked with the couple on the renovation of their Toronto home,

“The home is a refuge with a relaxed, rustic, Belgianstyle atmosphere.”

— Kim Lambert

[1] — In the living room, soft materials and neutral hues provide a relaxing environment. A coffee table from Restoration Hardware (rh.com) sits opposite a linen sofa from the same brand, which is surrounded by two side tables in perforated brass from Article (article.com).

[2] — Despite the discreet colour scheme, an antique wool carpet from the Second Life collection (elte.com) adds a modest splash of colour.

Opposite page — Custom designed by Kim Lambert Design and made in Toronto, the dining room table in solid white bleached oak, equipped with a metal base, displays a long sculptural resin bowl created by Canadian artist Martha Sturdy, found at Hollace Cluny (hollacecluny.ca). Eight Wing chairs from Actiu (actiu.com) blend in with the decor in a toneon-tone scheme that matches the kitchen island.

almost 10 years earlier, so it was a natural fit. “They wanted the place to be a refuge that would be both relaxed and easy to maintain, with a style that was contemporary and minimalist, but also warm and comfortable,” says Lambert, who drew inspiration for the project from typical Belgian interiors, known for their savvy blend of modern and rustic in a friendly, inviting atmosphere.

The couple also wanted to make wise use of the space; architects-Alliance separated the 4,600-square-foot compound into four separate but connected buildings. From the outside, the result—inspired by the barns and long houses that dot the region—is modern without clashing with the bucolic landscape. The shou sugi ban cedar cladding, which gives the various structures a raw, natural look, was also a logical choice. The owners had been interested in using this traditional Japanese method of charring wood for the makeover of their Toronto home. At the time, Kim Lambert was unable to source original shou sugi ban cladding, but she was able to recreate its appearance. Fortunately, shou sugi ban siding is now commonly available, and when she learned that architects-Alliance was using it on buildings, she jumped at the chance. ”In the beginning, we envisioned a white chimney and drywall, like you often see, but then we said to ourselves: ‘No, let’s bring the outside in.’” It was an inspired idea: The fireplace’s ↦

[1] — With its painted wood cupboards and porcelain backsplash from Neolith (neolith.com), the modern, minimalist kitchen blends in perfectly with the rustic charm that characterizes the rest of this open space. Two unobtrusive Wireflow 3D hanging lamps from Vibia (vibia.com), perched above the dining room table, were chosen so as not to obstruct the view.

[2] — Just off the kitchen, a pantry offers additional storage and does double duty as a bar. The Statuario marble backsplash evokes the veining of the porcelain slabs in the kitchen, with the subtle variations that natural material provides.

Opposite page — Glass passageways—this one between the bedrooms and the common living area— connect the separate buildings and flood the home with natural light.

overmantel rises all the way up to the cathedral ceiling, a dramatic centrepiece for the main living area. Its dark wall separates the living room, which opens onto the kitchen and the dining room, with a sitting area hidden from view. “It lets you escape,” explains Lambert. “The owners didn’t want to feel like everybody was on top of one another when they were entertaining friends or their children were there. We needed to find a way to maintain a certain intimacy.” They also wanted an ultramodern kitchen, the kind you more often see in an urban home than a country house, with lots of storage so that the counters remain free of clutter at all times. The juxtaposition with the casual, rustic style of the living room and the rest of the house—other than the dining room, which has a contemporary feel—could have been somewhat jarring, but instead the result is an interesting dialogue. It’s this unique but cohesive mix that gives the main living area its complexity and character.

Beyond the main room’s large windows, the natural world stretches off into the distance, making its presence felt no matter the season. Kim Lambert knew she had no choice but to highlight this wonderful green palette, which turns fiery in fall and fades away in winter. It was important to subtly integrate it—the clients are particularly fond of fall colours, like rust, which crop up in the decor—in order to create a connection between the home’s ↦

[1] — The bathroom, which offers a pleasing view of the green rolling landscape, is bathed in light.

[2] — Interior designer Kim Lambert

Opposite page — In the bathroom, where the walls are covered in textured porcelain tiles, two horizontal ledges mimic the horizon line, which stretches out beyond the floor-to-ceiling window.

design language and the surrounding landscape. “We didn’t want the view to compete with the interior, but rather to complete the rustic atmosphere,” she says.

The project was finished in the summer of 2020, a little under three years after Lambert got involved. The clients have been fully enjoying their second home ever since. Of course, skiing is on the agenda once the snow starts to fly—the couple belong to the nearby private club. In summer, as the sun dapples the fields, a dip in the swimming pool is a refreshing way to revel in the natural surroundings. And all year long, the breathtaking views from this peaceful haven make it a unique spot where memories are made and times with family and friends are recalled around the hearth. A place where it simply feels good to be alive. —

(architectsalliance.com) (kimlambertdesign.com)

Storage cabinets in white-oak veneer line this hallway, recalling the wood wall treatments elsewhere in the house. In this minimalist space, which also incorporates an office nook, one’s eye is drawn down the hallway to the view outside by the hallway runner, a souvenir brought back by the owners from a trip to Morocco.

Opposite page — In the guest bedroom, a felt headboard cushions sounds and creates a warm, cozy atmosphere, as does the quilt from Hollace Cluny (hollacecluny.ca). To the left of the white-oak night table, lit by a brass wall reading lamp from Astro (astrolighting.com), a ladder gives access to a loft that provides an additional sleeping area.

“When we work with our clients, we’re invited not just into their home but into their lives.”

— Kim Lambert

Hiding

A house is a REFLECTION OF THE SOUL , an extension of oneself. A place where feelings and memory commingle. As is the case with this cavelike refuge , which proves that simplicity can still be complex.

By Céline Tremblay — Adapted by Zarya Rubin — Photographs by César Béjar Studio and Dane Alonso

in Plain Sight

This living vault, which unfurls like a ribbon, is windowed on both sides. One reveals the common areas, while the second brings together the private spaces. Is functionality sacrificed for beauty? Not at all. As proof, on the right, the concrete island, which allows for cooking by daylight.

To grasp the origins of the structure you see before you, imagine an anxious child hiding under the proverbial security blanket or a bedsheet. Staying perfectly still, the little one takes stock of her fears. The fabric hides her, protects her, envelops her and warms her. It creates a cocoon of privacy and safety. La colina frente a la cañada (the hill in front of the glen) is an architectural metaphor for this emotional state.

Four concrete walls emerge from an undulating landscape, out of which the architects at HW Studio were able to create a hill—a shelter whose shape is reminiscent of a bedsheet, transported by a puff of air. Two of these walls form a slender mound of vegetation that is revealed when the veil is lifted. The other two create a narrow passageway leading to the heart of the house.

It is on fertile land in Michoacan, Mexico, that the fruit of this poetic reflection has been realized with impressive restraint. “Here,” explains HW founding architect Rogelio Vallejo Bores, “the architecture had to be just an accent on the words of the story. A comma. Or a question mark. It was not meant to be the story itself. It is out of the pines, the oaks, the fireflies, the road, the fence, the neighbour’s well, the earth, the orchard and the nightingale that beauty emerges.”

Synchronicity

The serendipitous discovery of a perfect white box, planted in the heart of an abandoned factory surrounded by new-growth forest, is what gave the home’s owner the impetus to break ground on his residential project. When he walked through the front door of this cube—the HW Studio headquarters—he had no idea that he was going to be plunged into the shadow world of psychotherapy! And yet, this is where the story begins. ↦

The essence of the project is captured in the spareness of these ink washes. A valley. Some trees. A living space and a path leading to its core.

Just wide enough to be walked comfortably alone, but too narrow to be accompanied, the path leading to the main entrance requires a solitary pilgrimage. At its centre, a bend in the otherwise linear corridor highlights the majesty of a lone pine tree.

The architect Rogelio Vallejo Bores

A hallway provides access from both sides to common spaces and quiet areas.

For the client, it was very important to preserve the raw and primitive feeling of being in the mountains. Therefore, just four materials are used: stone, wood, concrete and steel. Abundant wood elements act as an indispensable counterpoint to the coldness of the concrete, which is softened here by its vaulted shape.

The kitchen, dining room and living room are wide open and face the woods. The warmth of the wooden floor and the furniture made from squared tree trunks compensate for the austerity of the space, which is quite cavelike.

“The flooring itself conveys the scent of the immediate surroundings, dotted with pine trees, acting as a counterweight to the coldness of the concrete.”

—

Rogelio Vallejo Bores

The three bedrooms open gracefully onto a corridor that offers a view of the sky and several treetops while still preserving the privacy of the spaces.

For Rogelio, each architectural project involves a quest for profound meaning, which inherently leads to the development of an intimate connection with the person destined to inhabit the space. “Our design process is based on three fundamental pillars,” he explains: “the client, the site and us, the designers.”

To probe deep into the true nature of their clients, the studio has the unusual quirk of using neuropsychology, and more precisely the Five-Factor Model, a methodology that analyzes and groups essential personality traits. This approach, which revealed a great willingness to experiment on the part of their client, José, gave the concept its bold, exploratory edge.

“Afterwards,” confides Rogelio, “it is imperative to get to know the site in a similar fashion. To capture its whispers, you must bring to it your full attention, presence and acute sensory awareness. You have to immerse yourself in conscious silence, connecting to the environment like an animal would. It is only once these elements are well anchored within us that the creative journey can begin. For this project,” he continues, “the three variables presented themselves in a perfectly balanced manner, which is extremely rare. Our approach had to reflect the information that was gathered. We simply lifted the sheet to shelter ourselves, like a child would.”

Asked about the complexity of applying such a design process, Rogelio says: “It is generally a fluid process without too many hiccups, because it relies on understanding the combination of environment and personality in depth, rather than on passing fancies. Decisions follow deep and thoughtful logic. After the initial concept, very minimal adjustments are made, because the client can see meaning in the resulting design.”

The technical implementation, however, posed considerable challenges. For instance, coordinating the work of heavy-equipment teams before the rainy season was crucial. It would have been virtually impossible to reach the construction site during that time period.

Significant, subtle, functional and poetic, this 2,700-square-foot creation, made from concrete, wood and steel, is nothing short of inspiring. It is filled to the brim with emptiness. No television. No internet. However, everything is there, and nothing is missing.

In keeping with the ethos of the project, the furniture and lighting incorporated by the studio are reduced to the bare minimum. The dining room benches, table base and bedroom night tables are hewed from tree trunks purchased in the community. These pieces embody the idea of creating a habitable space whose future disintegration has already been foreseen.

As it degrades, the structure will leave few traces. It will remain a refuge, but this time serving the local flora and fauna. —

(hw-studio.com)

“By gradually changing colours, the concrete becomes part of the environment, little by little.”

— Rogelio Vallejo Bores

Seen in this aerial view, the residence blends seamlessly into its environment.

Anthracite-grey paving stones and the surrounding vegetation provide a dramatic contrast to the white rear facade, which opens onto a cedar-wood terrace.

A ’70s bungalow in Victoria, B.C. , provides a backdrop for the personal collection of two FANS OF MODERN ART . And the creative vibe continues in the garden. Take a trip to this home museum.

By Marouchka Franjulien —

Not Your Basic Bungalow

Photo: Ema Peter

Adapted by Christopher Korchin — Photographs by Ema Peter and James Jones

Karen and Richard had worked once before with D’Arcy Jones, the principal at D’Arcy Jones Architects, when they had decided to leave Victoria and settle down on Hornby Island. But five years later, a medical diagnosis forced the couple to say goodbye to their quiet retreat in wonderful natural surroundings, amid soaring Douglas firs, off the coast of Vancouver Island.

When they were back in town, it made perfect sense to call again on D’Arcy and his team—this time to bring new life to an 1,140-square-foot bungalow in Fairfield, a tranquil neighbourhood shielded from the urban bustle. As luck would have it (or perhaps it was destiny), the stucco cladding on the exterior was identical to that of their island home. In these parts, this kind of textured coating is fairly uncommon, given the abundance of wood available. So they kept the stucco—but the outdated interior, which hadn’t changed since the late 1970s, was due for a rethink. “It was renovations with a very tight

budget, so we had to not spend money where it was not going to be impactful,” says Jones. Fortunately, the building had great, albeit quirky, bones and some interesting details, like a skylight over the dining-room table and a ceiling with exposed wood beams that just needed a fresh coat of paint. Normally, the firm wouldn’t take on such a modest project, but the idea of working with the owners again appealed to D’Arcy. As did the challenge of transforming a space, with all the possibilities and constraints entailed. “Sometimes it’s more rewarding to transform something that’s ugly and not working than to design something new, because it is harder to do,” he says.

The renovations, which started in January 2020, lasted four months. Given the home’s small footprint and unusual shapes, a lot of creativity went into maximizing the available space and camouflaging the irregularities, which harked back to their ’70s heritage. To bring in natural light, it was necessary to knock down walls, make existing windows

“Whatever the season, you always have something to look at.”

— Bianca Bodley

Opposite page — The main living area is always bright, even when the weather isn’t cooperating. In the kitchen, a Viking Professional range (vikingrange.com) nestles discreetly in an easy-to-clean, stainless-steel alcove.

[1] — The open-plan kitchen provides an unobstructed view of the garden. Two Little Tulip chairs from Artifort (artifort.com) add a burst of colour to the otherwise monochrome scheme.

[2] — Concealed by white laminate cabinets when not in use, an integrated coffee nook, complete with handcrafted mugs, gives a glimpse of the ceramic objects the couple likes to collect.

Photos: Ema Peter

[1] — In the work area which looks onto the back garden, a desk painted white matches the ceiling’s exposed beams.

[2] — The simple and elegant cedar-wood terrace serves as an extension of the living and dining rooms.

Opposite page — An original Saucer Bubble pendant by George Nelson (hermanmiller. com) seems to hover between the skylight and the dining room table. The white-painted ceiling and exposed beams further brighten the surroundings.

Photos: Ema Peter

An Eames chair and ottoman provide a cozy place by the fire. In the living room, which backs onto the kitchen and dining room, a Mid-Century Modern theme prevails. Painting: Untitled, by Chris Di Vincente (chrisdivincente.com).

[1] — The minimalist main bathroom, where white enamelled-porcelain tiles line the walls, is in keeping with the rest of the home.

[2] — Where one might normally expect a mirror, a window placed behind the bathroom sink brings natural light into the room. The mirror, meanwhile, is tucked away off to the side.

“The house had its own rules, and we had to play by them.”

— D’Arcy Jones

larger and even add a few new ones. With the additional fenestration, D’Arcy says that “everywhere you look, you see a garden on all four sides.” And although the two bedrooms—a main and a guest room—required no modifications, the surprisingly large bathroom was split in two to add a shower room, and an office nook was created in front of an ample window overlooking the back garden. The kitchen, which was previously quite dark, needed a little more work. Karen, an avid cook, likes to spend a fair bit of time there. D’Arcy says that since this was their second chance to collaborate on a kitchen, “it’s like a perfectly tailored room now for her,” and this time he positioned the range strategically. “The cooking area in the old house was against the window, so the window got sprayed with grease,” he says. Part of the mission was to keep odds and ends out of the way, since Karen does not like clutter. You won’t find oils, spices, blenders or accessories on the counter—it’s all carefully curated. “By

having everything hidden, it feels more spacious,” says the architect. “When you go to this house today, it would look like the photos. The photos aren’t staged.”

As he was redesigning the kitchen, D’Arcy also knew that he had to make room for the bright-orange bar chairs from the Hornby Island home. And that nothing should overshadow them. So for the kitchen cabinets, pure white was the way to go. “You can change your art and your furniture—that’s the spot to get colour—because it’s so expensive to change the colours in a kitchen,” he says. The owners, who are both design aficionados, were interested in a neutral space— similar to an art gallery—to make their artworks and high-end furniture the focus of their new home. Their collection extends right into the garden, which stretches out beyond the large windows, like a painting that changes with the seasons. In summers, flowers bring colour; in winter, birds come to snack on what remains. For the garden space, the couple turned to

Photos: Ema Peter

Photo: James Jones

To mark the transitions between different areas of the garden, Bianca Bodley used various materials, among them these stone slabs that lead to an adjacent structure, which contains a guest room.

“Getting to know the clients, I always want to make sure the garden feels like an extension of their personality.”

— Bianca Bodley

Bianca Bodley, owner and principal designer at Biophilia Design Collective—which specializes in landscape and architecture design— who they had worked with in the past. “There was an existing boxwood hedge, which we kept. Pretty much the rest was like a blank slate that we just sort of started fresh.”

Somewhat like a green art frame, the hedge now surrounds a large, concrete, sensually shaped sculpture that Karen and Richard have nicknamed Maxenne, overlooking a rose garden.

Like the kitchen, where objects are concealed, the outdoors also holds some secrets. When the wind comes up and starts shaking the tall grasses around the adjoining building, at the back of the garden, you can see lovely metal fish emerging from the building’s black wall. The undulations are meant to evoke rushing water, and the effect is quite poetic. In front of the house, the concrete driveway runs straight but zigzags between big Garry oak trees. “We wanted to make a beautiful

entryway for them, and also very modern, but we wanted to respect the roots of the trees,” says Bianca. Rather than digging a passage, they went for a raised path, dictated by nature itself. It’s a testament to Karen and Richard’s attention to detail, despite the project’s limited budget—they truly take pleasure in lovely surroundings. In a modestly sized oasis that combines inner and outer beauty, they’ve managed to create a work of art that stands on its own. — (darcyjones.com) (biophiliacollective.ca)

[2] — Cane-line chairs (cane-line.ca) and an Outdoor Plus fireplace (theoutdoorplus. com) provide a relaxing way to enjoy long summer nights. Tall bamboo plants along the railing offer privacy. [1]

Opposite page — This tall sculpture, surrounded by heritage rose bushes, is by Victoria-based artist Birgit Piskor (birgitpiskor.com). Its round organic shapes are mimicked, in the background, by a pine shrub trimmed into cloud-like shapes that sits in one of the property’s custom-made white planters, which in turn recall the home’s streamlined interior.

[1] — A Stromborg table by Knoll (knoll.com) and Cape outdoor chairs from eq3 (eq3.com) are used for alfresco dining.

Photos: James Jones

ELLE DECORATION EXTRA

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An Explosion of Shapes and Colours

The Bombom collection comprises a range of seating options and decorative accessories in beautiful bold shapes that are suited to both indoor and outdoor use. With a colour palette inspired by the pastel-hued houses of Lisbon’s Old Town, Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos creates colourful, rounded and surprising shapes. The seat backs punctuating each sofa are all adjustable, allowing users to create their own cozy spot. Immerse yourself in the unique design world of Roche Bobois, where art and comfort meet. — (roche-bobois.com)

The Sierra Mattress: Where Luxury Meets Comfort

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INSPIRATION

Fine Dining, Down on the Farm (PAGE 100) How two creatives and their love of a few green acres resulted in a delectable, ever-evolving project in Mont-Tremblant. Coming Up Aces (PAGE 106) Ace Hotels hold a very good hand. In Toronto, we checked into their first Canadian venture. — Perspective (PAGE 114) A place, a moment in time, an emotion — Showstopper (PAGE 115) A culture-crossing object

Fine Dining, Down on the Farm

How

By Carolyne Parent

TWO CREATIVES and their love of a few green acres resulted in a delectable venture in Mont-Tremblant .

— Adapted by Zarya Rubin — Photographs by Catherine Marois

The farm-to-table concept is a global phenomenon. Farms that offer a gastronomic experience are popping up around the world, born from a kind of collective awareness of the importance of terroir and its development. In Mont-Tremblant, in Quebec’s Laurentians, Maison de Soma is the latest addition to this trend.

The two 40-year-old creatives behind this agro-gourmet project, Edith Foliot and Didier Lortie, were unlikely farmers. “We dreamed of settling in the countryside one day. Edith saw herself picking berries in a straw hat!” says Didier. And then came the pandemic, a new hierarchy of priorities, the urgency to realize their dreams and a helping hand from destiny: A rare piece of land went up for sale in the neck of the woods where they wanted to settle.

We find ourselves at the top of a hill, in the heart of their land, where their family home, which also houses their three children, is perched. In the distance, Lake Maskinongé shimmers. “From here, we can barely see a fifth of our property!” says Edith, almost with astonishment. Covering 245 hectares, which represents nearly two and a half times the surface area of Old Montreal, the estate includes an orchard, a grain-fedchicken farm, greenhouses and a grove of sugar maples, which this spring will be used for a small maple-syrup operation.

Eating locally

“Currently, we grow 60 types of vegetables, 120 cultivars and also berries, such as currant, haskap and sea buckthorn, which we use mainly to make spirits,” she continues. The

Maison’s guiding principle? “Eat locally!” says Didier. “Promote Laurentian food,” adds his partner. “You will never find lobster or scallops on our menus—they would be from much too far away—but you will see trout.”

There’s also a nod to Asian flavours, because “that’s my personal comfort food,” adds Didier, who is a recent agronomy graduate. Co-chefs Édouard Lacouture and Jérôme Bigot also have a penchant for Asian cuisine—they like to incorporate miso, koji and kimchi into their gastronomic creations. “It makes sense because there are similarities, in terms of traditional preservation methods from that corner of the world, such as lactofermentation, smoking and drying, and what we do,” explains Didier. Indeed, the team’s pantry is well stocked!

Unveiled last summer, the Maison has a dining room with seating for 30, as well as a culinary laboratory. Both are housed in an old farm building, repurposed and retrofitted using, of course, a very “design locally” approach. Raw materials and fabrics were sourced nearby and are of natural origin; lighting and tableware with soft organic shapes were designed by ceramik b., a Montreal workshop; and everything is imbued with the wabi-sabi spirit, the Buddhist precept that exalts the impermanence and imperfection of all things, that is dear to the Japanese.This Japanese wisdom has also informed the couple’s modus operandi, and notably helped them to accept the gap that always exists between dreams and reality. “We had to learn so many things. To change with the seasons, to be patient. And that is so much easier said than done!” says Edith. But despite the challenges, she has no regrets. —

(maisondesoma.com)

The gourmet

tasting menu is served Thursday through Sunday, with brunch on weekends; the wine bar will return in the summer.

Other Quebec Farm-to-Table Destinations

Les Cocagnes, country tables, in Frelighsburg

Since the summer of 2022, Les Cocagnes, a non-profit, agroecological collective, has provided farmland to several small agricultural businesses in the Eastern Townships. On their gourmet nights, chefs from all over Quebec and elsewhere are invited to prepare and serve their harvest bounty. An experience not to be missed! June to September 2024. — (lescocagnes.ca)

Au Pâturage, gourmet spaces, in Sainte-Perpétue

Chloé Ouellet , the driving force behind this farm and restaurant in the Centre-du-Québec region, made a name for herself as a contestant on the popular TV show Les Chefs! Her challenge? Running a gourmet dining venue in a village of just 800 people! And she appears to be doing it brilliantly… — (aupaturage.com)

Bika, farm and kitchen, in Saint-Blaise-sur-Richelieu

We loved her previous venture, the fabulous Montreal restaurant Su, so we followed her when she moved to the Montérégie region in 2020. She is none other than Turkish chef Fisun Ercan, who invites you into her home from June to October. — (bika.farm)

Something About Soma

In Hindu and Persian mythology, soma refers to a drink with hallucinogenic properties that brings humans closer to the divine. “It’s the elixir of awakening, an awakening that can take place when guests here make the connection between what they see out the window and what’s on their plate,” explains Didier Lortie, co-founder of Maison de Soma. More than 70 percent of the dishes are made with ingredients that came from the farm. —

ACE HOTELS hold a very good hand. And they differentiate themselves without standing out too much. We checked into their first Canadian venture.

By Céline

Korchin —

by William Jess Laird

Coming Up Aces

Tremblay — Adapted by Christopher

Photographs

Horizon Line, a three-storey plywood art installation abstractly depicting Lake Ontario’s shimmering waters, designed by A. Howard Sutcliffe and assembled by local company Two Degrees North. It’s a clever schematic representation of the view of the lake that we would have if nothing were obstructing it.

Opposite page — The hotel facade, overlooking Camden Street

When she was asked to design Canada’s first Ace Hotel, Brigitte Shim—of acclaimed architecture firm Shim-Sutcliffe— said no. She didn’t want to be known for the arrival of “just another hotel” in downtown Toronto. But before she changed her mind and ultimately agreed, she set out some conditions and did a careful analysis of what the popular American brand stood for. There are now 10 Ace locations, mainly in the United States but also in Kyoto and Sydney, and most of them are in converted buildings. This new one in Toronto is built from the ground up.

Located in the Garment District, on the corner of Camden and Brant, the building lies outside of the financial district but close to downtown, Chinatown and Queen West, facing a small square. And it has an imposing but discreet facade. With its slightly Art Nouveau curves and clever brickwork, it fits in with the visual identity the city has been known for since 1890, which was dictated by the millions of bricks produced from the red clay of the Don Valley.

Humbly and delightfully tucked away, the reception desk is clad in enamelled brick and backed by red-oak shelves.

Opposite page — A series of textured concrete structural arches rises from the lower level and crowns the hotel lobby, which is suspended by thin steel rods. The lobby, where the hotel’s guests congregate alongside locals in need of a matcha latte in bright surroundings, also has a communal worktable made by Toronto company Made Design and a DJ booth adorned with coloured cement disks by Montreal studio Concrete Cat.

Although it’s hard to tell how old this large 14-storey building is from the outside, you won’t be any the wiser when you go through the revolving doors to the suspended lobby. The structure itself, defined by numerous huge concrete arches, further clouds the issue, and the abundance of vintage furniture, which forms a pleasing Scandinavian patchwork, adds to the ambiguity. This confusion between old and brand new is one of the Ace’s great strengths. It creates a kind of cozy timelessness—something that almost feels like familiarity.

That said, the real feat of this new hotel is the way it successfully connects the interior with the exterior, the inside and the outside, both in form and material. The key here is that the architecture firm, in collaboration with Atelier Ace (the chain’s creative agency), took charge of every little detail of the interior setup in addition to designing its framework. This peaceful, 123-room nest is all about coherence, fluidity, warmth and simplicity. Did I mention warmth? ↦

“We like to use ordinary materials in slightly unordinary ways.”

— Brigitte Shim

Absolutely nothing here is ostentatious or pretentious. That’s what allows the building to gracefully blend in not only with the Ace portfolio, but also with the emerging neighbourhood in which it’s located. “See St. Andrew’s Park across the street? It’s one of the oldest parks in Toronto,” says Brigitte Shim. “And what I like about this park is that there’s nothing special about it. There are no monuments in it, it’s just a purely local gathering spot.” Shim-Sutcliffe aimed to recreate this simple, unintimidating feel—one of well-being. “For alcoves and storage areas in the rooms,” says Brigitte, “we deliberately used low-end, construction-grade plywood.”

In those rooms, designed in a kind of “urban cabin” spirit, works by Canadian artists abound, and brick, concrete, wood and copper come together to form a consistent whole and a satisfying colour palette. “The unusual combination of clay and copper, for instance, is one of the elements that contribute to creating a whole, an atmosphere,” the architect adds.

Opposite page — Concrete works by Montreal artist David Umemoto were integrated into the Evangeline Bar.

Alder Restaurant, run by chef Patrick Kriss, sits just below the lobby. In these intimate surroundings, with acoustics designed to hush noise, vintage furniture casually blends with banquettes by Ace Studio. Note the halo from the light reflections in the circular insets in the concrete.

The day of my visit, amid the mismatched mid-century-style lobby furniture—an inviting mix of wood-framed armchairs, long comfy sofas and well-chosen coffee tables—an old brown Labrador was curled up asleep in a rather busy area, while whipped matchas and generous-sized black-sesame croissants were being delivered from the long bar to customers of all ages and origins.

You can count the stars here at night from the rooftop terrace, but an appreciation for Ace Hotels tends to go beyond the usual starred rating system. They’re aimed at people with a different concept of luxury. Indeed, it’s tempting to hand out more than five stars for the kind of urban haven that can offer a cozy room equipped with a turntable, where a romance-minded traveller can create even more atmosphere by dropping the needle on a Herbie Hancock album. —

(acehotel.com/toronto) (shim-sutcliffe.com)

Opposite page — Ace Hotel’s trademark quilts are made in collaboration with designers of Tunisian and Jamaican origin Jean Touitou and Jessica Ogden. Their handmade work makes you feel like you’re both at home and somewhere new.

Evangeline Bar, on the 14th floor, features a long terrace.

La Muralla Roja by Ricardo Bofill, Calpe (Spain), 7:12 a.m.

Photo: doublespace photography (@2spacephoto)

Double Fantasy

By Donia Demers — Adapted by Christopher Korchin

Some ideas just make us jealous . That’s the case with the Hybrid collection from art and design studio CTRLZAK, founded in Milan by Katia Meneghini and Thanos Zakopoulos. With this series, a follow-up to their Ceramix line, the creators chose porcelain to both contrast and fuse traditional Eastern aesthetics with Western design. It’s clever, cheeky and oh so beautiful. — (ctrlzak.com)

Photo: Studio Badini