Retail
New digs
Socco Living's Toronto store.Handout
At Toronto furnishings store Socco Living, co-founders Marion Le Saux and Samir El Wali, who hail from France and Morocco respectively, bring an international perspective to life at home. Following the successful debut of their first shop in Toronto’s Annex in early 2021, the pair recently opened the doors to their second location on Queen West, which boasts quadruple the floorspace. More room allows Le Saux and El Wali to offer a wider selection of products and events, including workshops. “I want our community to be able to enjoy other experiences than just buying our products,” Le Saux says. “Our goal is to create products which inspire people to enjoy the simple moments of life, enabling them to reconnect with nature, relax and appreciate their surroundings.” One of these key products is Socco’s selection of Oeko-Tex certified cotton and linen bedding. It’s made in Guimaraes, Portugal, at a mill that Le Saux says “has centuries of heritage and textile expertise, which they mix with modern techniques to produce high-quality pieces.”
Socco Living, 474 Bloor St. W., Toronto, 416-672-0570; 1020 Queen St. W., Toronto, 416-532-6464, soccoliving.ca.
Trending
Statement serviettes
Whitney Linen has partnered with Acid4Yuppies creative Arnie Guha on a collection of tableware.Handout
After home decor took over from fashion as the ultimate social-media flex during lockdown, the dinner party emerged as the new personal-style statement, with eye-catching linens and tablescaping scenarios by the likes of Misette and Gohar World going viral. It’s a moment that’s going even bolder for 2023. Known for its explorations of a life lived in linen, Toronto’s Whitney Linen (whitneylinen.com) has partnered with Acid4Yuppies creative Arnie Guha on a collection of tableware inspired by the saturated colours and abstract prints associated with psychedelia. The table runners, placemats and cocktail and dinner napkins feature designs by Guha, bringing a trippy twist to Whitney Linen’s more traditional shapes that evoke a sense of playfulness and curiosity. “The juxtaposition between the more classic style with such vivid and busy prints is really where the magic happens,” says founder Whitney Westwood. “It definitely makes for a fabulous topic at a dinner party.”
Business
Shroom boom
French contemporary furnishing company Ligne Roset has partnered with MycoWorks to bring a mushroom-based material called Reishi into the brand’s furnishings.Handout
Mushroom motifs have been trending in interior design, capturing a collective fascination with fungi. As materials specialists continue to explore the properties of mushrooms as related to product development, mycelium-based materials are poised to make their mark on home furnishings. They have already been used in everything from pendant lampshades to Tom Dixon’s Mycelium Towers, sculptural pieces inspired by mycelium packaging. More recently, the French contemporary furnishing company Ligne Roset (ligne-roset.com) has partnered with MycoWorks to bring a mushroom-based material called Reishi into the brand’s furnishings. The leather-like fabric is being applied to Teneo, a limited-edition set of pillows.
Obsession
Hop to it
Rabbit box by Louis Vuitton.Handout
With the Lunar New Year coming up on Jan. 22, home-goods makers are celebrating the Year of the Rabbit with a litter of bunny-inspired decor. At Louis Vuitton, that includes a reimagining of the house’s symbols – like trunk corners, studs and monogram flowers – alongside rabbit motifs, as in the cherry wood box seen here.
Rabbit box, price on request at Louis Vuitton (louisvuitton.com).
Investment buy
Tool time
Campbell-Rey hand-forged gardening tools.JohnvonPamer/Handout
California beauty and wellness brand Flamingo Estate has partnered with Duncan Campbell and Charlotte Rey of interior-design studio Campbell-Rey on a limited-edition set of hand-forged, bronze-cast garden tools. Featuring designs inspired by flowers and leaves, each individually numbered pair is made in England using traditional techniques such as lost wax and sand casting by third-generation foundry Collier Webb. In the depths of January, they’re a handsome reminder that a fruitful spring planting season is just a few months away.
Campbell-Rey Hand-Forged Gardening Tools, US$3,000 through flamingoestate.com.