Friday, March 2, 2012

We Heart The Grid !

FRI MAR 2, 2012
PLACES

How’s Business?: Russet & Empire

When Micah Lenahan opened Russet & Empire (390 Keele), her shop focusing on “smaller decor and giftware,” a year and half ago, her initial focus was on Canadiana (as was the case when The Grid first visited last year), but over time—and by way of two buying trips to Sweden—she’s found the geographic scope of her influences expanding.

“Before this, I worked for years and years at an office job to save up to be able to afford to do this,” recounts Lenahan. Despite a relative lack of hands-on time in the business—”this is my first retail experience,” she says—Lenahan’s always had a strong affinity for interior design. “I’ve always really loved design and craft, but I just don’t have the capacity to do it myself. It’s just not in me to produce it, so instead I try and curate it.”

The Junction has proven to be an ideal location for Lenahan to learn as she goes. With rents lower than in other more established neighbourhoods, the neighbourhood provides a certain amount of economic freedom. “I don’t have to play it safe and I can afford to take chances on stock and, if it doesn’t sell, it’s not the end of the world,” she explains.

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There were some growing pains at the beginning. “I know what I’m looking for now,” she says, “but when I got into The Junction, I was like, ‘Everyone is pregnant, everyone has kids’… and the kids’ stuff just flopped. I don’t even know why. I invested in a lot of French wooden toys and they’re slowly being given away as gifts as my friends get pregnant.”

One drawback to a less established neighbourhood like The Junction, however, is that it’s low on day-to-day foot traffic. Lenahan describes it as more of a “weekend destination,” noting a seasonal aspect as well: “When bike riding season starts it definitely picks up.”

The economic freedom that The Junction provides has also given Lenahan the opportunity to take her search for wares abroad—on two occasions, in fact. “This is the second time I’ve gone to Sweden on a buying trip,” she says. Her focus on the trip was to bring back “mid-century, iconic, Swedish design—the stuff that I’m after, it’s almost like it’s a cliché there.” She sees this kind of aesthetic as a perfect complement to her core Canadiana stock. “There’s a lot of parallels between their design and our lifestyle—it’s all about embracing the wintertime.”

This new merchandise will be unveiled and out on the shop’s floor quite soon. “March 15, we’re going to start,” Lenahan reveals. “We’re going to have a nighttime party and sale.” While there will be lots of merchandise for Scandinavian-design aficionados to pore over, just exactly how much remains to be seen. “On the way back [from Sweden], British Airways ran over my bags,” says Lenahan. As many fruits of her buying trip are still in transit, the exact amount of damage is yet to be seen. “We’ll find out in three days!”

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Thursday, March 1, 2012

Sweden Part 1

Everything in Sweden is pretty. The end.

Nah, here is part one of the epic buying trip to Sweden. There was a lot of laughing and crawling around basements of charity shops finding awesome stuff, a little bit of staying in fancy hotels, and a teeny bit of crying. Hakuna matata.

Some may sat it's crazy to fly to Sweden in the winter, but look how pretty it is

And for the record it was way warmer in Gothenburg than it was in Toronto.

Our first night in Sweden we stayed in the nicest hotel I have ever stepped foot in, the First Hotel Avalon (which is a member of Design Hotels so naturally it's perfect). It was nice to treat ourselves to a bath and a goodnight's sleep before the week of hard work ahead. We only went out to a bar one time if you can believe it! And we didn't even get drunk I swear! Also, look at the pool on the roof.

I would trade my house for a cardboard box with that chair and lamp inside. A sound decision I say.

This is how I had to work without a computer in a foreign land, with a pen and notebook!

Everyone leaves their bikes unlocked on the street because what dirt bag would want to steal someone else's bike?

More photos and stories to come friends! Someone had better comment on my use of the term hakuna matata or else.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Ghosts of Sweden

My better-business-half, Micah, just got back from a buying trip in Sweden. Fancy, huh? You can get your mitts on some fantastic vintage Swedish wares atRusset and Empire when we host an equally fancy pop-up sale. Details on that soon.

I was rummaging through the stuff she brought back and found a box of glass negatives (there is probably a better, more technical, term for these things?). The point is, negatives look creepy, and antique negatives from foreign lands look the creepiest.

Your eyeballs, sir!

There are three more of this guy chillin with his flowers and flags.

Originally posted (stolen from) The Interiorist

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

I'm Back!

After a comedy of errors I'm back! I spent a week crawling over dirty couches, eating dozens of hot dogs, and what seems like an endless number of flights/customs forms. You're basically going to die when you see what I brought back, and I will basically die if my luggage ever shows up in Canada, but that's a whole other blog post. For now I leave you with this beautiful portrait of me in a Swedish Stadesmissionen in a sweatshirt.