Oh how I would love to enjoy a dinner out on the town again, and to transport myself to Vancouver and this fabulously designed tapas bar & restaurant. Como Taperia is a nod to the classic, centuries-old, standing-room-only tapas bars in Barcelona’s Poble Sec or Madrid’s La Latina quarters. These spaces are tight, acoustics are loud and you may or may not be offered a place to sit, favouring conversation and community over intimacy and comfort. Our access point to the materiality and colour strategy came from one particular reference, Jardins de les 3 Xemeneies, and its three brick chimneys that backdrop the bustling Poble Sec–the only remains of an early 20th century power station built by the Barcelona Traction, Power and Light Company ( a Canadian utility company that operated light and power utilities in Catalonia, Spain) locally known as La Canadiense for the old company’s Canadian electricity production. Opening a tapas bar in Canada, this history acted as a leeway into exploring the vernacular of this neighbourhood, allowing Como to become a contemporary materialization–an homage to all we love about Spain. The rest was an exercise in keeping things simple and fun and letting a few other cool points of inspiration stand out against this backdrop like the punches of cobalt blue reminiscent of Miro and the art program taking Jean Arp’s work as a point of departure. Designed by Ste. Marie.

Photography by Conrad Brown
Styling by Kate Richard

Beamed ceilings, large windows and nothing but neutrals. This home is so bright and airy and soothing. Designed by Heaton+Williams.

Photos: Thomas Kuoh

Within the refurbished château/farmhouse of designer Pierre Yovanovitch in Fabrègues, Provence is the marriage of rustic and sophistication. Plasterwork, stone and wood form the backdrop to modern and vintage furnishings and artwork. Each room more beautiful than the next.

As of late I have been spending every bit of free time I have working on backyard projects with my husband. We finally received our shipment of plants (all evergreens – I realized I should embrace our crappy climate and plant things that look alive all year long) so the space is finally coming together. I am not big on flowers. I mean, I love a bouquet every now and then or picking some weeds out of the yard and sticking them in a vase but that’s about it. And that is why I love this townhouse garden project by Sawyer | Berson. It’s just deep greens and black. I love the simplicity yet how lush it is. Can’t really go wrong with classics like boxwoods and English ivy and staghorn ferns.

I absolutely love this Park Avenue prewar apartment architected and designed by MKCA. It has a contemporary art deco feel to it and has some exuberant touches that keep it young and fresh. Located in a distinguished Carnegie Hill co-op building, the 2,800 sf apartment has been reimagined for contemporary family life while retaining its original gracious formality. The renovation concentrated on maximizing the already well-proportioned formal spaces, including a generous entrance gallery, formal living room and dining room; while converting the dark and crowded storage and service areas into functional contemporary living elements.

Photos: Brooke Holm