Posted by
HGTV.ca Editorial Team
Thursday, June 12, 2008 2:39 PM EDT
Toronto jewellery designer and store owner, Sarah Hamel, lives in an 1800-square-foot apartment above her store, Made You Look, on bustling Queen Street West.
The 19th-century building she and her husband own is totally unassuming from the street, but inside, their apartment feels like it could be a small detached Victorian Home in a quiet neighbourhood.
It’s the perfect contrast for Sarah, who has a young son yet benefits from the trendy traffic along Queen West. Her home is accessible both from the street and from a staircase at the back of one of her jewellery store’s two locations (across the street from each other).
The light walls throughout the apartment place emphasis on the couple’s quirky art, and interesting furniture collections, and the skylight in the kitchen floods the space with soft, natural light.
Sarah's decor style: “Eclectic with an urban, rustic feel.”
Sarah’s favourite room: The bathroom (above left)
“We have black tiles in the master bathroom. I haven’t seen many bathrooms with black tile. It’s very French looking with cream accents. And I’ve decorated with woman-themed art, like a big up-close photo of a pair of lips with bright red lipstick. I love being in the bathroom, because it’s where I have alone time.”
Favourite piece of furniture: An old theatre chair found at an antique store in Toronto (above right)
“It’s made out of wood and upholstered in green leather, but it folds up almost like a lawn chair the way movie theatre seats do.”
Sarah’s decorating strategy: Let signature pieces take the spotlight
“I’ve got a young son so we haven’t invested a lot in furniture at this stage. I think it’s about picking pieces that look like they could be antique or expensive and mixing them with antiques. I think that that helps throw people off. I also have a lot of signature pieces that tell a story. They make the everything else look more interesting.”
