Furniture boutique and gallery, Love the Design, celebrated its first anniversary in the Leslieville area with a party filled with street style food (lobster rolls and tacos as well as poutine, all courtesy of Rock Lobster Food Co., a signature cocktail as well as ++ Beau’s All Natural Brews), art and creativity Tuesday night.  Attendees also got a chance to see owner Christie Flynn’s latest series of work called “Urban Journey”  – featuring photographs of various parts of the Greater Toronto Area as well as Love the Design’s new “subway sign” pillow collections (a take on her popular recreation of 1940s Toronto trolley signs).

If you’re looking for something unique for your home, Love the Design is definitely a place to stop by.  With a very vintage and industrial vibe, items you’d find in the store include furniture, home items (including throws, pillows and lights) as well as greeting cards and other stationery created by Christine herself and, of course, her artwork.  There were also other very unique pieces available.  At the event, I saw not only a vintage typewriter, but also books dating back several decades, including one that was awarded to a Toronto high school student in 1937 and a mid-century nursing textbook.

I have to admit that I don’t venture off to Leslieville all that much, but Love the Design has definitely given me a reason to do so! Love the Design is located on 1382 Queen Street East.  Open Tuesday to Friday from 11 am to 6 pm; Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm and Sunday from noon to 5 pm.