Treasure hunting at Bonne Choice

The weekly micro-decorating newsletter * Issue 3 of 13, SS24 *
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When I was in high school, I had a history teacher who loved to crack jokes about the negligible assets of Mimico. (Sample: "Did you hear about the fire at the Mimico Library? Both books burned.") If I recall correctly, he lived in Mimico himself, so it was a form of casual self-mockery.

I thought of him on Saturday, when I made my first-ever intentional visit to Mimico, after passing through it (briefly) on the GO Train for decades. The occasion was an appointment at a furniture store with the unusual name "Bonne Choice." I'd heard about it a few weeks before, though I soon learned that it's celebrating its first birthday this month.

The showroom is housed in a former office building that looks like a mid-century bungalow, complete with massive double doors at the entrance and a facade that incorporates mosaic-like stone siding. I felt like I'd walked into a set from "The Incredibles" come to life. I paused to take it all in.

Then I hauled open one of the doors, passed through a vestibule, and found myself in a cavernous space full of some of the most inventive designs a home could include, from well-loved classics to the unexpected and obscure.

It was overwhelming at first. Fortunately, my appointment was with Carlo Colacci, the store's owner and originator. He'd catch me looking at something and answer my questions, then let me wander for a while, then eventually return to continue the tour. After a while, the dream-like profusion settled into a more familiar sense of being in a museum – a bonus being that with the desire and means, I'd be able to take anything home.

A shop that comes from one founder is always full of idiosyncrasies. Carlo has a passion for the work of Gaetano Pesce, the maverick designer who passed away in April. He's also a fan of Memphis, the Italian juggernaut that upended furniture design in the eighties. A third fascination – and a new discovery for me – is Ozark roadside pottery, whose marbled surfaces are so vibrant they seem to be in motion:

One of the wise moves in arranging these colourful treasures is the inclusion of quieter places to give your eyes a rest:

The micro-decorator in me was drawn to a room called The Vault, smaller-scale pieces visible through the comically intense door:

You'll find more encouragements inside to drop any shyness about amping up your chromatic choices:

You'll also find lots of those pint-sized objects that can totally transform a shelf, a tabletop, or even an entire room:

The piece I couldn't say no to was a Venetian perfume bottle of Murano glass with alternating black and gold stripes. A photo from the Bonne Choice website captures all the details:

What I love about this image is it makes the piece look six feet tall, while in reality, it's just a little over four inches in height. Like so many compact objects with canny designs, it has an outsized impact in a room, so the photo does in fact tell the true story.

If you book an in-person or virtual visit to the Bonne Choice showroom, you'll no doubt find your own treasure to take home, with friendly assistance from Carlo. He'll also explain the store's name, if you're still scratching your head.

I have my own explanation, though. I think of it as a play on "Bonne chance" (Good luck), with luck replaced by choice. If you're an avid decorator with a sharp eye, it's never entirely about good fortune, it's about that firm yet intuitive decision to make a piece your own.

Somewhere, my history teacher is smiling at the thought that Mimico has proved him wrong.

Thank you for reading.