Shops We Love: LivingSpace

In 1988, Ross Bonetti opened LivingSpace in a 5,000-square-foot store on Vancouver’s North Shore. Now, they are in a sprawling 20,000-square-foot space in the Armoury district, the city’s hub for architects and designers.

The bi-level space — a bakery in the 1920s, then later a printing press — was renovated with the help of local architect Omer Arbel, who founded the well-known firm Bocci. To retain the building’s rustic quality, Arbel left the ceilings exposed. “Everything is still all white,” says Bonetti, “but now there’s so much more character and more product to explore.” The gallery-like room set-ups make it feel as if you’ve stepped into someone’s loft apartment. A kitchen department is housed on the second level, along with a Kartell shop-in-shop offering furniture in juicy transparent colors. The upstairs also houses fave Italian furniture lines (Ligne Roset, Minotti and Flou, among others) Bonetti has carried from the beginning.

Located 1706 West 1st Ave, Vancouver.