Kumari Colson's living roomFred Lum / The Globe and Mail
Toronto boutique owner Kumari Colson has lived with her husband for the past three years in a midtown townhouse that she has decorated, in part, with the colourful silks she sells through her eponymous Yorkville store. A former buyer for Ralph Lauren until a trip to Nepal inspired her to sell scarves and pashminas, Colson says her main objective, both in her store and at home, is to surround herself with a feeling of splendour.
"I don't really follow decorating rules," she says. Her living room, a case in point, is her favourite room in the house: Its "raw-silk drapes, drop-crystal chandeliers and ostrich-feather silk chairs dress the space. They are a mixture of things my husband and I have discovered on our travels and what we love most."
1. The statue
"This is a brass sculpture of a woman by Ruben Zellermayer, who works with human and animal forms. He lives in Toronto and has shown in Tel Aviv and elsewhere in Canada."
2. The painting
"The painting behind the sofa is by artist Norman Laliberté, a Canadian whose imagination and vitality speaks to my love of colour and fun."
3. The chairs
"The chairs are all covered in raw Thai silk in colours of pearl, pink blush and bridal cream. One of the chairs is backed with ostrich feathers. I like an eclectic mix of antiques and modern."
4. The carpet
"It's an antique Persian in pomegranate reds and blues. I love the colours. They make me feel happy in my home."
5. The shell
"It weighs more than 300 pounds and was a gift from my husband. I love all things from the sea."
6. The glass sculptures
"These beautiful sculptures are by artist Silvio Vigliaturo, a master glass-blower and expert in glass fusing. We first visited his gallery in Venice and then again saw him in Palm Beach. He has participated in the Art Miami and Art Palm Beach fairs."