The Store Up There

Shopping is a sport for many, and when you can shop in a store like Holt Renfrew you're going to feel like a winner. The luxe chain of Canadian department stores have been around since 1837, which started as a hat shop in Quebec City, and soon transitioned into selling furs (becoming the official furrier to the Queen). Holt Renfrew has seen the fashions go in and out, and while doing that, the department store has developed relationships with some of the world's best designers including, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Dolce & Gabanna, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Burberry, Tom Ford. Not only are the items in the store luxe, the buildings themselves are the epitome of luxury; Janson Goldstein designed the HR Vancouver store which breathed new life into the old-world brand. I've never shopped at Holt Renfrew, nor have I ever been to Canada, but HR will definitely be on my to-do list when I travel North. 

Luxe in Toronto

Designing for a small space can be challenging, but it does not have to be restrictive. This Toronto condo is only around 600 square, but its elegant style is fit for an Upper East Side mansion. The main living room is adorned with architectural molding, and covered in artwork both bringing your eye up to the high ceilings, rather than the close walls. The cleverly chosen furniture pieces in the room are chic and do not take up too much space. The couch is only two feet deep, as opposed to a normal sofa being three to three and half feet deep. Also the glass coffee in the middle of the seating area is useful and does not take up much visual space being translucent. The color used in the room is kept to a dull roar, only being present in small details, like pillows, ottomans, and in some of the art work, which is suspended on wire that hangs from a rod at the top of the wall, creating a instantly classic French salon look. The rest of the apartment is just as small, but also just as stylish. Having an eye for detail, and a smart use of color, any space no matter big or small, can be stylish and make you feel like you're living in the lap of luxury. 

Photos courtesy of Canadian Home