{"id":16771,"date":"2020-04-22T08:27:08","date_gmt":"2020-04-22T12:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/?p=16771"},"modified":"2020-05-26T23:56:33","modified_gmt":"2020-05-27T03:56:33","slug":"slow-and-steady-insight-spring-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/2020\/04\/22\/slow-and-steady-insight-spring-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Slow and Steady: Shelley Durnin has an eye for haute handicrafts"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re looking to bring home a piece of Prince Edward County, look no further than Keep \u2014 a cozy Scandi-style shop \u2014 along Picton\u2019s main street. The store, which opened its doors last summer, is the brainchild of County dweller Shelley Durnin. Blond-wood shelves hold creamy-coloured organic textiles, hand-bound leather notebooks, vintage brass chain bracelets and intricate Moroccan rugs \u2014 handpicked from the owner\u2019s sojourns abroad. A sharp curation of stylish and handmade, this modern \u201cgeneral store\u201d would feel just as at home in New York\u2019s Hudson Valley.<\/p>\n

Durnin moved to The County from Toronto in 2009, and Keep is the culmination of years
\nof retail experience, an appreciation for slower living and a passion for one-of-a-kind creations. A serial entrepreneur, Durnin opened her first outpost \u2014 Kokito, inspired by Canadiana- meets-lakeside living \u2014 with business partner Jennifer Hardenne in 2013. (Hardenne left the business to open her own store, called Monarch, in Picton this spring.<\/p>\n

Even the name Kokito is evidence of Durnin\u2019s spot-on sensibility. \u201cIt came from my cottage on Consecon Lake,\u201d she says. \u201cOur postal code was K0K 1T0, and if you change the numbers to letters, it\u2019s a cute word.\u201d She now resides in a 19th-century Georgian manor called Tara Hall, which has been featured in House & Home and the German edition of Architectural Digest. (The home\u2019s next restoration project will involve a functional cooking hearth and rustic brick-tile flooring in the kitchen.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"Shelley Durnin\u2019s new store, Keep, purveys artisanal local products alongside one-of-a-kind items picked up from her travels.<\/a><\/div>\n

For Durnin, \u201cretail\u201d works only if items are worthy of a spot on one\u2019s mantel. \u201cIt\u2019s not our style to go to the big trade shows for mass- produced products,\u201d she says of Kokito\u2019s approach right from its start. \u201cWe like to connect with small makers and develop a relationship.\u201d On offer are berry bowls, match-striker pots and porcelain shells for smudging, crafted by Durnin herself under the tutelage of local potter Andrea Pillar.<\/p>\n

Keep artfully blends local with global finds. \u201c[In our work] with Moroccan craftspeople, some of the Berber rugs were made into poufs and pillows,\u201d says Durnin. \u201cI\u2019ve worked with the makers firsthand and made many friends.\u201d When what you take home is one-of-a-kind, it\u2019s no wonder \u201cKeep what you love\u201d is the store\u2019s motto. Marie Kondo would be proud.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

01 KEEP<\/strong><\/p>\n

Located beside friend and neighbour Rebecca Hunt\u2019s Picnic Caf\u00e9, Durnin\u2019s second shop was opened to create even more space for makers both near and far. \u201cI like feeling more a part of the community,\u201d she says. Standout offerings include leather- handled woven baskets ethically produced by women in Ghana, clay pastel trinket dishes made in Ottawa and mood-enhancing macram\u00e9 cocoon lamps from Old Montreal. 194 Main St., Picton, ON.; (613) 399-1010; @keepcounty on Facebook<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n
\n

02 <\/span>KOKITO <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Kokito is a cottage-like outpost housed in Bloomfield\u2019s original post office. \u201cThe County is a hotbed of creativity with craftspeople of all sorts making all kinds of interesting and beautiful things,\u201d says Durnin. This store puts a spotlight on their eclectic creations. Think ceramic serving spoons in modern muted pastels with driftwood handles that may well have been claimed along the local Sandbanks shore. 285 Bloomfield Main St., Bloomfield, ON.; (613) 393-2828; kokito.ca <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

03 THE SOUKS OF MARRAKECH<\/strong><\/p>\n

Morocco\u2019s marketplaces are a maze of alleys glittering with eclectic jewellery, lanterns, pottery and textiles, redolent with the intoxicating scents of spices. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing more authentic than sipping mint tea while looking through literally hundreds of beautiful creations right there in the souk. I\u2019m planning a trip back in the near future,\u201d Durnin enthuses. \u201cTwo words: hammam spa!\u201d visitmarrakech.ma<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n
\n

04 <\/span>MIDTOWN BREWING COMPANY <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMy favourite food is down-home comfort cooking with lots of love,\u201d says Durnin, who enjoys PEC\u2019s craft breweries for a good meal with friends. \u201cMy husband and I are vegan and are wowed by how the restaurants in The County have embraced vegan diners. Neil Dowson at Midtown brewery makes the most delicious mushrooms on toast \u2014 ever!\u201d <\/span>266 Wellington Main St., Wellington, ON.; (613) 399-1001; midtownbrewingcompany.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

05 CONSECON LAKE<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOur favourite thing to do in The County is a beach walk with the dogs,\u201d notes Durnin, whose Instagram account, @arthurdukeofwellington, is dedicated to her pooches\u2019 outdoor expeditions. A waterfront family resort offers cottages, camping, boating and fishing in the area. \u201cSunsets all over the world are beautiful, but there is something extra special about the sunsets over Consecon Lake!\u201d visitpec.ca<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

By Carlene Higgins, Photos: courtesy of Damian Entwistle\/Flickr, Tara McMullen <\/span> – *This article originally appeared in INSIGHT: The Art of Living | Spring 2020<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re looking to bring home a piece of Prince Edward County, look no further than Keep \u2014 a cozy Scandi-style shop \u2014 along Picton\u2019s main street. The store, which opened its doors last summer, is the brainchild of County dweller Shelley Durnin. Blond-wood shelves hold creamy-coloured organic textiles, hand-bound leather notebooks, vintage brass chain bracelets and intricate Moroccan rugs \u2014 handpicked from the owner\u2019s sojourns abroad. A sharp curation of stylish and handmade, this modern \u201cgeneral store\u201d would feel just as at home in New York\u2019s Hudson Valley.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":16780,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[394],"tags":[371,409,1303,1314,1315,1316,1317],"class_list":["post-16771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insight-magazine","tag-sothebys-international-realty-canada","tag-insight-magazine","tag-insight-spring-2020","tag-shelley-durnin","tag-kokito","tag-moroccan-crafts","tag-moroccan-inspired"],"yoast_head":"\nSlow and Steady: Shelley Durnin has an eye for haute handicrafts: INSIGHT Spring 2020 - Sotheby's International Realty Canada<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In The County, cool hunter Shelley Durnin has an eye for haute handicrafts.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/2020\/04\/22\/slow-and-steady-insight-spring-2020\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Slow and Steady: Shelley Durnin has an eye for haute handicrafts: INSIGHT Spring 2020 - 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