{"id":14900,"date":"2018-03-22T18:48:45","date_gmt":"2018-03-22T22:48:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/?p=14900"},"modified":"2018-03-22T18:48:45","modified_gmt":"2018-03-22T22:48:45","slug":"uncommon-threads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/2018\/03\/22\/uncommon-threads\/","title":{"rendered":"Miriam Zittel & John Honeyman’s Stylish Hotspots"},"content":{"rendered":"

When considering the leap to start up a new venture, most people would begin with the staid task of plotting a business plan. Not so for former catering director John Honeyman and fashion designer Miriam Zittel. When the Canadian couple decided to move back home to Toronto after about a decade in NYC, they took a far more adventurous route \u2014 a five-month, multi-country sabbatical.<\/p>\n

As they zipped around Europe with their baby, Zelda, now three years old, they flirted with the idea of perhaps opening a rug shop. Their interest in rugs had been sparked in their Brooklyn condo, where rigid rules required them to carpet 80 percent of their floors for soundproofing. \u201cWe had the hardest time finding cool rugs that weren\u2019t a fortune,\u201d says Zittel. With her elevated sense of chic, she wasn\u2019t wowed by Etsy and eBay finds. \u201cSo, we thought this was a niche thing we could potentially get into, but it wasn\u2019t set in stone.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the duo landed in Morocco, they still weren\u2019t sure; they considered cutting the trip short and looking for new jobs. But as soon as they saw the local textiles, they couldn\u2019t resist buying up rugs \u2014 100 in fact, and their business was officially born. They found their current College Street storefront on Craigslist while still in Morocco. \u201cThat\u2019s the way we operate,\u201d says Zittel. \u201cWe\u2019re a little impulsive.\u201d Since then, their gorgeous and highly covetable rugs have adorned fashionable homes all over Toronto, New York and beyond.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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01 | Mellah: <\/strong>
\nA destination for d\u00e9cor enthusiasts hunting for handmade one-of-a-kind Moroccan textiles, Mellah is also a favoured go-to for its own proprietors. Their store stocks everything, from boho Boucherouite rugs (hand-knotted from upcycled fabric scraps and reminiscent of colourful abstract art) to vintage Beni Ourain rugs (a Berber style characterized by geometric designs and undyed sheep\u2019s wool). \u201cWe pick them one by one personally,\u201d notes Honeyman. Those who can\u2019t visit their Dufferin Grove shop can order online.
\n1090 College Street, Toronto; 416-580-7122; mellah.ca<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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02 | Beldi Country Club
\n<\/strong>\u201cPeople who know Morocco know Beldi,\u201d says Zittel. \u201cIt\u2019s the most beautiful Zen little oasis built on a farm, about 10km from the medina [in Marrakech], but you feel like you\u2019re a million miles away.\u201d Find solace on scorching days under the shade of olive trees, by the pool or in the spa (services include argan oil massages). Or shop the peaceful on-site souk for handcrafted wares, including hand-blown recycled-glass dishware and vases from Morocco\u2019s last remaining Beldi glass-making company (now based within the country club). Km 6, Route de Barrage, Souk Cherifia, Marrakech, Morocco; +212-524-383950; beldicountryclub.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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03 | Rachel Comey <\/strong> 
\nNYC-based fashion designer Rachel Comey began her career making menswear, but she quickly drew a cult following of women who would scoop up her pieces for themselves. Today, her SoHo boutique is the cool girl\u2019s go-to for eclectic vintage-inspired clothing. \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful store and she\u2019s an incredible designer who really designs for women \u2014 even if you\u2019re pregnant or have just had a baby,\u201d says Zittel. \u201cHer clothes are so forgiving and empowering.\u201d
\n95 Crosby Street, New York City; 212-334-0455; rachelcomey.com<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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04 | The Smile
\n<\/strong>The quintessential intimate Manhattan restaurant, The Smile is \u201cthe main place we always go to,\u201d says Honeyman. \u201cFull disclosure: it\u2019s owned by our friends, but it\u2019s been super-popular since forever.\u201d (Once it opened, it became \u201can instant haunt for the local art and fashion cognoscenti,\u201d according to The New York Times.) Tucked in the candlelit basement of an 1830s Federal-style townhouse, The Smile serves seasonal fare with Mediterranean verve. \u201cTheir meatballs are incredible,\u201d Zittel enthuses.
\n26 Bond Street, New York City; 646-329-5836; thesmilenyc.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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05 | Casa Das Penhas Douradas <\/strong>
\nA boutique hotel isn\u2019t what you\u2019d expect to find amid the hamlets in Portugal\u2019s mountainous region, but that\u2019s exactly what Honeyman and Zittel stumbled upon while driving across Serra da Estrela for a day of hiking. Perched at an altitude of 1,500 metres (4,900 feet) in a national park, Penhas Douradas is, says Zittel, \u201ca Scandinavian minimalist dream\u201d with a charming restaurant that uses local, seasonal ingredients. The sleek modern architecture is tempered by pleasing nods to nature, such as wood panelling and bedspreads made with burel (a tightly woven traditional local wool fabric). \u201cIt looks [like] a Bond villain would live there,\u201d adds Honeyman.
\n6260-200 Manteigas, Portugal; +351-963-384-026; casadaspenhasdouradas.pt<\/a><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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By Wing Sze Tang  – *This article originally appeared in INSIGHT: The Art of Living | Spring 2018<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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