My Houzz: Vintage Cool Style for a Montreal Apartment
Artwork and flea market finds energize a creative Canadian couple's 700-square-foot home
Crisp white walls and exposed brick serve as the perfect canvas on which these creative first-time homeowners blend their strong, eclectic sense of style. Johan Högdahl, an art director in advertising, is originally from Sweden, and his style is distinctly Scandinavian. His girlfriend, Marie-Laurence Tailleur Tremblay, a product designer and interior architect, has a style based more on instinct. “I know it when I see it," she says. "If I see something I love, I won’t think twice about it.”
After moving into their newly renovated Montreal walk-up last May, the couple collaborated on incorporating their favorite vintage pieces and colorful artwork to make something that's distinctly their own.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Marie-Laurence Tailleur Tremblay and Johan Högdahl
Location: Mile End district of Montreal
Size: 700 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
After moving into their newly renovated Montreal walk-up last May, the couple collaborated on incorporating their favorite vintage pieces and colorful artwork to make something that's distinctly their own.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Marie-Laurence Tailleur Tremblay and Johan Högdahl
Location: Mile End district of Montreal
Size: 700 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
The minimalist bedroom reflects Högdahl's Scandinavian style. Soft white linens and warm lighting complement the exposed brick wall and patterned Marimekko bedspread.
The dining room is what sold the couple on the apartment. "When we saw this space, we just knew it would be perfect for our lifestyles,” says Tailleur Tremblay. This set of six three-legged Hans Wegner chairs was a splurge from local secondhand shop Showroom Montreal.
A variety of original and vintage artwork adorns the dining room walls. A vintage 1960s map print from the board game Risk hangs on a white wall; it was found at local print shop Monastiraki.
Högdahl built the 10-foot-long dining table out of wooden planks affixed to steel legs. "It was really amazing to finally have this perfect space where we could entertain all of our friends," he says.
Högdahl built the 10-foot-long dining table out of wooden planks affixed to steel legs. "It was really amazing to finally have this perfect space where we could entertain all of our friends," he says.
The table is set for teatime with Scandinavian accessories.
The living room has a vibrant collection of flea market finds, consignment store purchases and furniture inherited from friends. Artist Annie Hemond-Hotte, a friend of the couple, created this large abstract canvas that creates a focal point on the brick wall.
The vintage Gaetano Pesce La Mama chair almost didn’t make it into their home. It didn’t fit through the front door, and had to be hoisted up on ropes and lifted into their apartment through a back window.
The vintage Gaetano Pesce La Mama chair almost didn’t make it into their home. It didn’t fit through the front door, and had to be hoisted up on ropes and lifted into their apartment through a back window.
This hallway artwork is another vintage find.
The open office space gets plenty of bright afternoon light. The desk is another DIY project of Högdahl's; he built the piece using salvaged wooden stairs from a nearby home that was being demolished. "One thing I love about Montreal is how everyone is really into reusing and repurposing materials in creative ways. It's amazing what you can find left out on the street sometimes," he says.
This colorful canvas was a gift from the couple's artist friend Pierre Julien.
The couple purchased this antique red wagon from the Montreal flea market Marché St. Michel, because it reminded them of the comic series Calvin and Hobbes. "We somehow managed to get it for under $30," Högdahl says. "The vendor thought we were buying it for our kids."
Although small, the kitchen manages to be functional and stylish. High-gloss white cabinetry provides a neutral backdrop for the couple's antique kitchenware and pieces of Högdahl's Finnish blown-glass collection.
In the only bathroom, pewter-gray walls offset bright white fixtures and classic subway tile.
Colorful Marimekko towels inject a shot of color into the small contemporary space.
The couple, seen here, decided not to own a television. "I feel that all too often, the television becomes the focal point of a living space," Tailleur Tremblay explains.
As for the space, it's a work in progress. And that's just how they like it. "There are no rights or wrongs when it comes to decorating your home," Tailleur Tremblay says. "Our home will never be finished — we always find new inspiration that we want to bring inside these four walls."
Sofa: Klippan, Ikea
Share your creative apartment with us
As for the space, it's a work in progress. And that's just how they like it. "There are no rights or wrongs when it comes to decorating your home," Tailleur Tremblay says. "Our home will never be finished — we always find new inspiration that we want to bring inside these four walls."
Sofa: Klippan, Ikea
Share your creative apartment with us