Isaac and Florence’s Eclectic Zen-Inspired Apartment

Name: Isaac Larose and Florence Provencher Proulx
Location: Le Plateau; Montreal, Canada
Years lived in: 9 months; Rented

If everything you wore looked just like your home, I’d be wearing a kilim rug and antlers on my head — doesn’t sound so cool, right? It’s rare to find a home designed in such an authentic manner that becomes a true reflection of the resident’s personal style, but Isaac and Florence’s home is the exception.

Effortlessly cool and bursting with personality is how I would describe Isaac and Florence’s apartment. Japanese influences, a bit of darkness, and handsome denim textiles come together to create a humbling and relaxing atmosphere.

Isaac and Florence have been traveling for the past two years throughout Paris, Southeast Asia, and the States. The morning they arrived in Montreal was the same day they started their hunt for an apartment. As soon as they stepped into this space, they knew it was “the one”. It was as simple as that to choose their new home.

Issac and Florence both have a background in fashion design. Isaac owns Larose Paris, a high-end contemporary hat company, and Florence is a fashion design student and runs her EP5D blog, where she showcase her experiments in fashion design and styling. She loves ethical brands and projects involving recycled fabrics. They’ve creatively adorned their home with reused and recycled discarded pieces of furniture. It’s unrefined, but with a unique sense of style.

And if you’re in love with this home and plan to be in Montreal, good news! Their apartment is available to rent for June, July and August on Airbnb.

My Style: Plants, travel souvenirs, thrift store finds and DIY projects.

Inspiration: We wanted to be ethically responsible when we moved to this apartment, so the idea was simply to use what we already had, find treasure in street trashes, buy only vintage/thrifted product, and make some DIY projects.

Favorite Element: The living room. Our dining room is so small that we mostly use it as Isaac’s office. We always eat around the circle table. We can fit around eight people at the table, so it’s perfect for gathering. The plants and the antique boro bed blanket Florence made from fabrics Isaac bought back from Japan also give the place a nice warmth. The fact that we don’t have a TV or a conventional couch enhances the experience of the room.

Biggest Challenge: Spending as little as possible on the design of the apartment. The most expensive piece we bought since we moved to Montreal was the second mattress for $45.

What Friends Say: That it’s really “us”.

Biggest Embarrassment: The kitchen is really old, and you can easily understand by the bad configuration of the space.

Proudest DIY: The Rietveld inspired dining table. We were so lucky when found the perfect size plank of wood in the trash around the corner. The two office desks made with old barn doors and cement bricks are also fun.

Biggest Indulgence: Switching from our bedroom’s bed to the living room bed for our morning coffee.

Best Advice: Plants, lights, more plants, and hats 😉

Dream Sources: Isaac is a huge fan of Truck furniture from Osaka, and our favorite place to window shop is the Saint Ouen flea market in Paris. But I think that we don’t really need more than what we already have, so I only hope that we will keep traveling and find amazing artisanal objects every time.

• Bed:
  DIY Blanket made by Florence, using antique boro fabrics Isaac brought back from his trip in Japan.
  The bed was bought at the trift store for 45$
  Headboard found in the street near the apartment

• Kimono : Antique store in Japan
• Chair: $5 thrift store find
• Sandals: Bought in small village in China last summer
• Branches : Found in the wood from a late night Mont Royal expedition to watch the stars
• Candle : Cire trudon
• Others: thrift store finds

Thanks, Isaac and Florence!

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