Patrick Assaraf has lived in the same Toronto house for the last 30 years. It's been a base from which to both raise a family and grow a multifaceted fashion business specializing in the design, manufacturing and distribution of a variety of leading brands, including Line Knitwear, Ted Baker London and his own affordable luxury menswear label, which he launched five years ago. Today, Assaraf's eponymous brand is sold nationwide at Harry Rosen, and come November, it will be carried by Saks Fifth Avenue in the U.S. Originally a fashion importer, the Moroccan-born immigrant first came to Canada in 1984 after falling in love with a native Torontonian whom he met while living in Israel. Elise Latner-Assaraf, his wife of 33 years, persuaded him to purchase their 75-year-old property, located on a leafy street in the city's north end, which she then decorated, designing the furniture herself. The living room, which serves as a showcase for some of her handiwork, is so precious to Assaraf that he reserves it for special occasions. "The room is basically a museum," pronounces the 57-year-old entrepreneur. "It's my little gallery. It's where I go to visit some of my favourite pieces."
The wall art
"This is a painted wood relief by my dear late friend and artist Sorel Etrog. I was most fortunate to be able to collect many of his fine artworks."
The sofas
"These were custommade in Toronto; my wife designed them using a mix of ideas. Basically, they are loveseats covered in a very soft cotton fabric. The reason there are two is I love symmetry – I don't understand circles at all."
The chairs
"The two fabulous rosewood lounge chairs are by the Danish furniture designer Ole Wanscher. They were purchased in New York from the gallery of Paul Johnson, a Canadian and a friend of my son's who deals in midcentury-modern furniture. These are from the 1950s. They are made of leather that's very thin, very soft. I let guests sit in them when they are allowed in this room at all. I give them two minutes and then, like me, they're out."
The side table
"I bought this one! I like that it is unusual. The small bowl is a Japanese lacquer bowl, a wedding gift from 33 years ago. I love all things Japanese."
The coffee table
"I think it belonged to my wife's family; it's been with us a long time. It's pretty modern looking."
The walls
"I hate wallpaper and so I had these walls painted by a starving artist I decided to support around five years ago. I told him he could do anything he wanted and this is what he produced. The pattern came from a Fortuny fabric that I purchased in Venice. It took him about eight months, working every day, to hand stencil and then paint."
The candlesticks
"They are by Paul Manship, the American artist who created the famous golden sculpture of Prometheus perched above the fountain at Rockefeller Center in New York City."
The window coverings
"They are made of linen and were custom-made here in Toronto. My wife designed the concept. I love the look of linen; it's luxurious but so formal looking. The linen also goes a long way in lightening up this room."