Stephan Weishaupt's living room
Soon after moving into his Edwardian-era home in Toronto's Cabbagetown neighbourhood five years ago, Stephan Weishaupt launched into renovations, craving a more expansive sense of space for himself and his dog Chica, a chihuahua-terrier mix. On the main floor, the German-born owner of Toronto furniture and interior design store Avenue Road tore down walls to create an open-concept living room, which quickly became his favourite room in the house. "Because I travel so much, when I'm home I like to entertain," says Weishaupt, 34. "The open-space design connects the living room seamlessly with the kitchen and the backyard. Chica also loves it, which is important, because she runs the house."
The chair
"These were designed by Brazilian designer and architect Sergio Rodrigues. The modular construction with the saddle leather in the middle is very masculine and sexy."
The cushions
"These are the recently released Ivory Hummingbird Cushions by Alexander McQueen for The Rug Company. The amazing hand-woven pattern elegantly captures hummingbirds in flight."
The coffee table
"This was designed by Piero Lissoni and it's called the Kooh-I-Noor. I felt it was a perfect fit for the sofa. I love the subtle irregular edges on the surface."
The silver bowls
"These are by one of the oldest silver manufacturers in Italy, Pampaloni. The shape is derived from the leather vessels used to collect sheep's milk. I like this marriage of old and new in design."
The floor lamp
"The Tripod is a very graphic, retro piece by Brooklyn-based industrial designer David Weeks. David is very interesting, having designed everything from children's toys to chandeliers."
The sofa
"The Perry Street Boomerang Sofa is a piece in Avenue Road's own collection; it was designed by Yabu Pushelberg. This was the very first piece in our collection, which we launched when our store opened in 2007. It has found its way into many great homes and projects. It really is a sofa for entertaining, as it accommodates many people."
The portrait of the Queen
"This is part of a very limited series by Canadian artist Chris Levine, who now lives in the U.K. I was instantly struck by this piece when my friend, the art consultant James Robertson, introduced it to me. It evokes a number of different emotions: sadness, humour, pride. Although she has her eyes closed, the Queen looks focused yet peaceful."
The ceramic side table
"This was designed by the Parisian furniture designer Christophe Delcourt and is called MUC4. The name stems from the airport code for Munich, my home city, which Christophe learned about when he visited with me there this past summer. The design soon followed."