NEXT DOOR: CLOTHING BOUTIQUE

Toronto, Canada

Next Door was conceived as the sophisticated off spring of Due West boutique, a longstanding destination for denim and streetwear on the Queen Street strip. Located in the unit adjacent to Due West, Next Door borrows from the 'urban saloon' eclecticism of the original boutique while exploring a more refined and sophisticated vocabulary. This formula would serve as a backdrop to the cutting-edge clothing designs the clients wanted to present. In order to introduce this new retail experience to a broader market, an opening was created between the two boutiques. The opening is an archway formed by a pair of antique carved wooden maidens, welcoming guests through to the other side and into a new retail environment. Oriented Strand Board (OSB), primarily a rough, inexpensive construction material, was used as a finish material throughout the space for it's warm colour and textural richness. Floors, walls and even millwork are constructed of the honey coloured panelling. Sheets strategically peel away from the walls to create ample lengths of shelving while revealing a counterpoint in materiality - cool Carrera marble tiles. Ornate antique brass fixtures and Baroque sconces contribute another layer to this unapologetic mix of elements. It is this juxtaposition of materiality; of the raw and the refined, the simple and the ornate, the warm and the cool, which makes Next Door a unique and memorable vessel for the precious articles it contains.