12 Things You Didn't Know About Tommy Smythe

We all know Tommy Smythe for his work with Sarah Richardson on Design Inc., Sarah’s House, Sarah’s Cottage, Sarah 101, and now Sarah’s Rental Cottage. He is known for his sharp sense of style (and collection of bowties) and his passion for design. He is one of Canada’s most beloved design personalities, and so we wanted to find out the other aspects of Tommy that make him Tommy! Here are 12 things you might not have known. By Tina Taus

Don’t miss Tommy in Sarah’s Rental Cottage, Thursday nights at 10 & 10:30e/p

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How do you take your coffee?

Tommy: “Um, I take it a few ways, but do you really want to hear what my Starbucks order is? Sarah knows it.”Sarah Richardson (who was present for this interview), says: “I was in New York last week, and as I was walking to get my coffee, for some reason, as I was skipping along the street, I was reciting in my head Tommy’s order: A Venti, five-shot, half sweet, sugar-free, vanilla, Americano.”

Tommy: “That’s it! It’s a lot of words. I’m a little person who likes big coffee. But just one in the morning.”

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What’s your favourite colour?

Tommy: Red. Just about any shade of red. I don’t really like it when it goes too pinky. But red, jewel-toned ruby red.

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What was your first job as a kid?

Tommy: “My first job as a kid was flipping hamburgers at Clevelands House. Very similar to Sarah’s first job of serving at Clevelands House. Not at the same time, but at the same place, same resort in Northern Ontario.”

Photo credit:Tommy Smythe’s Instagram.Picture showing Tommy at age 16.

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Best vacation you ever took?

Tommy: “I always feel like my last vacation is the best one I ever took, so I was in Paris and London over the holidays. I do cultural travel. I don’t tend to do beaches. I don’t think I’ve been on a beach for at least four or five years. ”

Sarah Richardson (who was present for this interview), says: “You’ve been to Miami”

Tommy: “Miami but not on the beach. Miami in the restaurants, the nightclubs, the hotels. And then museums, and the art galleries. And the piscine. I’m more piscine than plage. ” (All laugh)

Photo credit:Tommy Smythe’s Facebook.

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What’s your hidden talent?

Tommy: “Cooking!”

Photo credit:Tommy Smythe’s Instagram.

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Favourite flea market find?

Tommy: “That’s impossible for me to say one favourite flea market find. But, I will tell you, one of my favourite flea market finds was when I was in Lisbon, Portugal. I was taken to a magnificent market in the heart of Lisbon and I found a beautiful canary yellow, ceramic jug, from the mid-century that is Portuguese pottery. So it sort of hit a couple of different things for me: it was vintage-modern, which I love; it was a colourful primary colour which I love; it was an authentic souvenir from where I was; and it’s a pretty darn awesome flower vase.”

Photo credit:Tommy Smythe’s Instagram.

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What’s your favourite season?

Tommy: “Fall.”

Photo credit:Tommy Smythe’s Instagram.

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How many siblings do you have?

Tommy: “I have three siblings. One sister and two step-sisters. I’m the oldest of all of them. Not at all the smartest or the prettiest, but certainly the oldest.”

Photo credit:Tommy Smythe’s Instagram. Showing Tommy and his sister Christie Smythe of Smythe jackets.

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Most recent book you read?

Tommy: “I’m actually reading right now ‘Gods and Kings’ and it’s the story of the rise and fall of John Galliano and Alexander McQueen. I’ve always been fascinated by fashion, and it’s an excellent, excellent book.”

Photo credit:Penguin Books.

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Favourite subject in school?

Tommy: “I loved History. English and history. I love language and history.”

Photo credit:Tommy Smythe’s Instagram.

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What’s your guilty pleasure?

Tommy: “TV. I love watching TV. I’m a binge watcher, I love watching marathon binges of hit shows. I’m an equal opportunity viewer. I’m a bit pop-culture obsessed, so if there’s a hot show that’s on, I’m obsessed with watching it. I watch everything, I have a very expensive cable package. I’m not ashamed of it either. A lot of people are really weird about it, like ‘I don’t watch TV.’ I’m like, ‘Congratulations! You’re not having any fun and I am” (laughs).”

Photo credit:Tommy Smythe’s Facebook.

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Favourite thing to do on a rainy day?

Tommy: “Probably watch a TV marathon (laughs). Actually I do a lot of different things, like yesterday I did a puzzle. For real. I don’t know why. I have this Harold Town puzzle, it’s a vintage puzzle by a famous Canadian artist.”

“I’m very good at nesting. I like to visit my library when it’s rainy.”