Queen West in Toronto is a competitive design forum. For many, the idea of a local haunt has been overlooked by over-the-top concept spaces that live and die within months. Florette had to say something new and simultaneously make a statement that would last.

We kept returning to the feeling evoked by the home of an older female relative: a mother, aunt, sibling or friend, who is welcoming and warm. Their space feels safe and unassuming, like a second home. It’s a trope everyone involved in the project shared, cutting across individual cultures and identities.

Florette represents the evolution of a home’s design across decades and passed down through generations. It is sincere but doesn’t take itself too seriously, just like the individuals who worked so hard to put it together – immigrants or the children of immigrants, who use food, music and laughter to honour those who came before.

It is a space designed for longevity, a space for all to feel welcome, a memento of the past, and a vision for the future.