Decorating & Design
Shops We Love: Pure Design Shoppe Celebrates Artisans With A New Retail Concept
Published on March 10, 2022
Last fall, Interior Designer Ami McKay carved out floor space within her Vancouver design studio to launch her new retail concept Pure Design Shoppe, which offers a selection of home accessories and artwork that she’s been using in her projects for years. “It’s really important to me to celebrate artisans and help shine a light on them,” says Ami.
The Strathcona-based shop offers textile art by local talent Julie Pongrac, whom Ami discovered in the city’s Eastside Culture Crawl years ago, traditional Japanese-style ceramics by Mimoko, and charming pom-pom throw pillows sourced from Mexico (and featured in many House & Home stories!).
Step inside the shop below!
Each pillow takes 10 weeks to make and provides a livelihood for two families — one harvests the wool; the other, the cotton. The rest of the inventory is similarly story-driven, says Ami, sourced with the goal of highlighting a craft and supporting a community.
A popular shop staple are the Escobeta Root brushes. “These are so effective at cleaning dishes,” says Ami.
Her eye for tactile, approachable pieces is, of course, part of her own story. “The warmth of my interiors always comes from the natural elements. These are pieces that turn a house into a home,” says Ami.
One of a series of porcelain vessels from Vancouver’s Mimoko.
Pure Design Shoppe is located at 711 East Hastings St., Vancouver.
Janis Nicolay