21 Feb

SHOP HOP: INTERIOR DESIGN WARE IN LITTLE BURGUNDY

Posted by Isa Tousignant on February 20, 2013

Little Burgundy isn’t just good looking on the outside, with its sharp contemporary architecture alongside quaint historical buildings. This hip Montreal neighbourhood has got stunning interiors, too, thanks to a collection of amazing designer furnishing stores…

Our Shop Hop guides are designed to help you scope out the most unique finds in town by suggesting easy-to-walk excursions through the city’s nicest neighbourhoods. Not only will you get a feel for Montreal as locals experience it, you’ll also come away with souvenirs that’ll remind you of your magical trip to la belle ville. After our hunt for designer clothing in Outremont and menswear in Old Montreal, we take a gander at some sleek designer furnishing stores in Little Burgundy.

Our journey starts admittedly a little east of Little Burgundy in Griffontown, on Peel between Wellington and Ottawa street, only because that’s where Celadon Collection lives. Among the tufted leather divans, wallpapers and mile-long cherry wood dining tables o this breathtaking showroom, you’ll find a plenitude of cool little items that are easy to pack. A kit of lacquered cream-coloured stationary boxes, for example, will make your desk look as worldly as Christopher Columbus – or how about a vide poche with a heraldic lion motif for a stately statement?

When you wander out, take Ottawa street westward to De la Montagne, turn right and walk to Notre-Dame. Notre-Dame, Little Burgundy’s main drag, has long been a destination of choice for interior decorators and stylish amateurs because it’s home to a huge concentration of antique stores, so make sure you keep some time to explore those too. What’s most interesting though are all the contemporary design boutiques that have popped up over the years. Ludovik is an invaluable resource for playful contemporary ware, including a vast collection of ceramics, cushions and dishware by Jonathan Adler, an exclusivity in Quebec.

Continuing westward, you’ll happen upon Beige, a sweet, tasteful store filled with silky soft bedding by the likes of Area Home and Dwell Studio, classy glass dishware and chic table linens worthy of Martha Stewart’s Maine home(s). Though generally classic, the tone here sometimes veers towards the contemporary, especially in the lighting department – and everything remains impeccably curated. Just across the street, at Léo Victor Design, the wares are distinctly avant-garde by comparison, trading in dramatic lines and unexpected forms. There’s a preponderance of pop colours in the seating – a specialty – and in the accessories, the focus is on stainless steel, which is the material of choice for wine racks, key holders, lanterns and filing trays – all cooler than cool.

Peckish? Choose between one of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants, Joe Beef, and its subsidiary Liverpool House, both kings on this block. After three courses of meaty goodness, you’ll be ready to bask in other made-in-Montreal delights just a hop westward, for a grand finale of this Shop Hop at Fait Ici. In this store specialized in sustainably-produced Quebec products you’ll find everything for the home, but of a different sort: less design products and more edibles, including a gift section where you can get growing gifts – plants in pretty pots. Whatever your wants, it’s worth a stop!