Name: Leticia and Daniel
Location: Toronto
Size: 900 square feet
Years lived in: 1
Months after Brazilian ex-pats Leticia and Daniel decided they were staying in Toronto for good, they still didn't feel quite settled. They'd made new friends, had great jobs and spoke the language, but something was missing: a sense of home.
Like most new immigrants just starting out, the two arrived with whatever fit in their suitcases. The furnishings in their first rental were sparse and charmless. After experiencing their first grim Toronto winter, they realized a cheery and comfortable apartment was a must. The two vowed to do what they could to transform their temporary-feeling flat into a welcoming and warm place they could call home when any bouts of homesickness struck.
Between retrieving pieces from home on trips to Brazil and a few nice local splurges, they managed to achieve just that. Leticia and Daniel's discerning eyes, playful sense of color, and appreciation for their national and familial vintage pieces are evident throughout their home. Decades-old family photos and mementos live next to modern graphic prints made by friends or collected on trips abroad. Mid-century furniture sits atop typical Brazilian crocheted rugs. Together it forms a rich mosaic of happy domesticity.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My/Our style: Second-hand eclectic with an ethnic touch.
Inspiration: Other people's homes.
Favorite Element: Everything tells our story - from the view to the key rack in the entrance, to the pictures on the staircase wall.
Biggest Challenge: Making it feel like home...
What Friends Say: Usually that it's warm, but my fave was "It's so balanced!"
Biggest Embarrassment: The carpet upstairs.
Proudest DIY: Making everything fit just right and the functionality of every nook.
Biggest Indulgence: The rent ;-)
Best advice: Move things around - the best spot is not always where you initially think.
Dream source: Space (as in sq ft).
Resources: Craigslist, Vintage stores, thrift shops and Garage Sales.
(Thanks, Leticia and Daniel!)
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Comments (41)
I love, love, love that duvet. It's amazing.
the bedding is amazing
love the couch and duvet. where is the couch from?
It looks like such a happy, feel-good home. The natural light in the living room is spectacular!
Me gusta el perchero de su cuarto en donde lo podria encontrar? Gracias!
@laura2407 - Is that Spanish or Portuguese? Cause they're Brazillian...and they speak Portuguese...
Very cool art work. I love the piece above the bed.
Love it. This is a special place.
Where is the bedside table from?
Its all super cool, realistic and livable. Loves.
its spanish! i will ask in english :D
i like the clothes rack that is in the bedroom where can i find it? Thanks!
eu gosto da cremalheira do vestuário que é no quarto onde pode i a encontrar?
obrigado!
Kudos for surviving a Canadian winter. They have a way of making you feel like being anywhere else.
like the dresser and night table, but...
this is a really tiny nit-picky thing, but the I dont like the way the carpet looks with the white railing. I wonder if you have ever noticed that?
You have a beautiful home!
Wow... not too vintage-cool, more like thrift-store-meh. There are A LOT of really awesome pieces, but it looks like a collection, instead of a cohesive peaceful whole. :(
¿De cuál perchero hablas; quieres decír, el alambre en forma de pájaros?
i'm just not feeling it...but i dig the cool chair in the living room corner!
Are tablecloths officially a trend now?
Where can I find your tv stand?
Thanx:)
There's a lot going on in there! I like a lot of it mostly because it looks so much like someone actually lives here and is comfy here. Which I love.
And good god, houseplants! REAL houseplants! Love it!
That's more like it!!! Love it! Absolutely love it!!!
It's really nice and personal, but I like MUCH less stuff. It seems like they like much more: a lamp on the nightstand AND a bulb hanging over it; a chair in the hallway leading from the bedroom (don't you bump into it?), books on the tank of the toilet. Every square inch of floor space, every surface (and almost every wall) is covered.
I'm crazy for craigslist, thrift shops and garage sales too, but at some point you have to resist. Do they really need more space, or just less stuff.
I think the beauty of individual pieces would be enhanced if your eye weren't so quickly diverted to the next thing, and in the end they would achieve a more cohesive and restful look.
Yaaah! Leticia and Daniel! Love it! :)
I like.
Hey "steve"...
There's a post somewhere here about "Favorite Etsy Shops." Wouldn't it be easier to post there ONCE, instead of all these "suggestions"?
You're in borderline spam territory...
I love how you set up your photo frames. In our family room, we used shelves instead, but will definitely try your approach in our other rooms. Great job, very cozy!
Love that shade of grey on the walls! Where can I find it?
thanks for all the Canadian-love this week AT!
Ditto on the grey paint - love the color, especially how it changes in the light - can you share the name/brand?
Also, I'm looking for simple sliding "barn door" hardware, similar to what is shown in bedroom. Where did you find it? Did you install it yourself? Everything I have found online is either very expensive & design-y or oriented for professionals, & too hard to figure out. Thanks!
Borderline? Patrick is being polite. It's pure spam.
I like your use of textiles, it really makes the space feel warm and homely. I don't agree with the comments that there is too much stuff - it's nice to see spaces that are actually lived in, rather than staged for a photo. Well done!
This is lovely. The light coming in through those lovely windows in the lounge is just dreamy - I'd love to sit in that chair and read a book. And I like how that big metal tv stand kind of makes the TV disappear but is still really accessible.
I love the upstairs too - the little office/guest nook and the bedroom. You both a have really nice way with colour.
Also, you live there and we can tell! Thanks for this tour - hope you're feeling more settled now :)
love the bedroom, it looks cozy and fun.
I love the vintage globe on the wall, fantastic idea! Welcome to North America, Toronto is a beautiful city!
So glad to see a condo in Toronto, a beautiful place to live - once the Sumit meetings are over!!!!!Who crochet the rugs and if you did them where could I get a pattern, your bedspread is beautiful. Great use of plants in a condo. I like it.
Looks amazing!
Very bland with a few redeeming items such as a fur chair and the dinning room table cloth.
love the home-- so many thoughtful touches. and yes, it is well-balanced!
Please tell us the gray paint shade. Thanks!!
Is that a glass globe mounted on the wall in the living room? do you have a source?
would love some interesting, modern, industrial or just creative globe ideas to incorporate into a room. everything i am coming across looks so cheap or uninspired. thanks!
@ Djluckyonline el que esta sosteniendo las bolsas en el cuarto :D
Where can I get a metal TV stand thing like that? Reminds me of the 80s.