Rachna

Every once in a while, you meet a person and immediately feel as though you've known that person for years. That's how I felt when I met Rachna.

Last year, we both attended the Yes Montreal business seminars aimed at budding entrepreneurs like us. While the seminar was helpful at the time, I admittedly don't remember much from the series. I was probably excited to have made my first friend in Montreal more than anything else.

Rachna Vohra is a dreamer and she dreams big. Fortunately, her tenacity and talent are a winning combination and she will surely realize whatever dream she sets her sights on, no matter how big.

Already on the road to living her dreams, Rachna spends her days as a technical writer for a large clothing company (which explains why she's always so well dressed) while building her ever growing editorial and translating business, S'apostrophe. All of this ties into one amazing thing: Her writing. Holy smack, this chick can write!

Rachna says, "I started writing when I could hold a pencil, and I started editing people's papers and projects when I was in grade school! I officially started my company in 2006 because I realized that proper grammar and spelling are lost in today's world. I can't read anything without editing it (even friends' emails!) and I am a writer at heart, so I thought to put it together and start up in this business. (and holding that red pen makes me feel so powerful - but that's a secret!)"

When she's not marking up other people's work (surely, this blog will need to be edited), she finds the time for her writing. Some of her work includes, The Distance Within and The Acorn and the Caterpillar and next month, Rachna will be a speaker the Kriti Festival, an event for South Asian Writers.

She's also got a huge heart. A few years back, she spent several months with the Parikrma Humanity Foundation teaching English to street, slum and orphaned children in India. Since then, she's joined the Make A Wish Foundation, donated proceeds of her book, The Acorn and the Caterpillar in memory of a friend as well as contributing to a book aimed at raising Breast Health Awareness. It's no wonder the United Divas website named her Diva of the Month!

She credits her parents for her unwavering drive to success and all creative dream seekers (and realizers) for her source of inspiration. She recalls an inspirational meeting with author and animator Jessi Thind, "It was wonderful to see a local writer stepping over boundaries and obstacles as if they were pebbles in the road. He encouraged me to start taking my writing to the next level...It was a wonderful feeling to become friends with a successful writer because it gave me the motivation I needed to believe that I could actually go somewhere with my passion."

And she has!

SIAL Montreal

Last week, it was my turn to help Sanj out with his tradeshow, SIAL Montreal. I gained 5 pounds and skipped the gym to partake in the gluttonous wonderment that is a food show. I don't care, I got to see my husband in action and that was hot.

Speaking of hot, the talented and witty Chef Ali Hassan of Lime Catering, cooked up some spicy Moroccan Lamb on day 2. The aromas wafting from the booth during his three demonstrations were a real crowd pleaser and with promise of exotic foods, he successfully lured prospective buyers over. Even I got a chance to add my own flavor by creating the recipe cards! For three days, my sister in law Neige and I passed the cards (along with tamari almonds, curry and ginger beer samples) out to overstuffed but still curious passers-by.

But the real winners were Sanjeev and his brother Kamal. The first tradeshow for their second generation family business, Shah Trading and the unveiling of their new look, I was completely floored by the 300 sq feet (almost the same size as my old NYC apartment) booth they put together. I wasn't the only one impressed, these guys connected with big buyers (HUGE) and they did so with as much respect, confidence and humility as they did with little buyers. WOW. Great job guys, I learned a lot from you last week and was happy to be a part of it.

Off to the gym!

Tally

A documentary filmmaker, an author, a radio producer and a really good cook, Tally Abecassis was one of the first people I met here in Montreal.

A longtime friend of Sanj's, Tally was my own private welcome wagon when I first moved here and her kind gesture helped me feel settled here. I'd always think, "Wow, I can't believe someone this cool is taking the time to welcome me here." Yeah, she's cool.

Since graduating from Concordia in 1996, Tally has worked on various film, TV and radio projects. Some of her current and recent work includes:
-- A long term documentary on small stores, "Think Big"
-- Directing a few episodes for a new French documentary series by local creatives at Urbania magazine, UrbaniaTV
-- Several radio pieces for the CBC
-- Curating "This Really Happened", a bi-monthly non-fiction reading series
-- An engaging book on Barbershops with amazing photographs that's been receiving excellent reviews

-- A major achievement in her professional life was the documentary film she wrote and directed, Lifelike. A quirky film on a quirky topic, Lifelike delves into the world of taxidermy by following the lives of four taxidermists and one customer. From InformAction, "Funny, touching, and sometimes just plain absurd, Lifelike will make you think twice about human nature and our relationship with animals." Lifelike quickly caught on in the filmmaking world and her movie was featured in several film festivals around North America


One of my dream projects is to do a video press kit for OM home with Tally. A piece on the often wacky production process of OM home's textiles, including some history on the art of Alpona. Hmmmm, someday. In the meantime, Tally's next major documentary piece, Radio Waves will focus on children in West Africa; how they see their lives and their future. For this documentary, Tally traveled solo to Burkina Faso to gather some initial data, we were all very inspired by her diligence and creativity-- we are all very inspired.

In the spirit of this blog entry, I've asked Tally to send me some information about someone that inspires her. She wrote me about Marci Denesiuk, her friend and colleague. Tally writes,
"Marci Denesiuk is my wonderful friend and a wonderful writer. Marci is always pushing herself creatively to try new things. For the launch of her book she put together a quirky claymation film (very hard to do!) to accompany her readings. It was hilarious and a great way to change the dynamics of a reading. And of course, her writing is beautiful."

Thanks Tally, I'll miss you in Toronto!

SOLD!

To everyone for their genuine appreciation of our apartment and the few inquiries that came our way for those that are looking to move, we are truly flattered, thank you.

Yesterday, we accepted an offer from a young Parisian guy who really loved the space, we hope he enjoys it as much as we have. We got the price we wanted and feel fortunate to have sold the property so quickly. We're also relieved to have this off of our plates so we can focus on our move (well, we won't actually start packing until the last minute because we tend to procrastinate, but it seemed like the thing to write) and the next stage of our lives.

But we're really going to miss it here! We spent most of yesterday walking around the Plateau, people watching, croissant eating, shoe shopping (couldn't help myself), meeting up with Sanj's brother and his wife (Dixx and Neige) and I really felt thankful that I had the opportunity to live in such a funky, young, artsy, easy going area that inspired me everyday (except the really cold days, that made me cranky mostly). Our move out date is officially May 31 and we hope to enjoy our hood as much as possible before then.

Merci beaucoup Montreal, you will be missed.

Toca Imports

Beautiful Montreal, a city I've called home for the last year and a half and a city I've come to love not only for the beautiful architecture, fashion forward women, yummy bagels and the low cost of living but for the awesome friends I've made and the family (Sanj's) that's become my own.

In honor of Montreal, I'm going to post bi-weekly about local entrepreneurs that I've met, admired or patronized during my time here.

My first posting is about a jewelry import business, Toca Imports that I first discovered last summer at a local shop. Imported from jewelry designers in Brazil, Montreal based owner Liliana Turecki has assembled a full range of jewelry to suit any style or budget. Liliana sent over some images yesterday of some new pieces that I think are gorgeous!

I love the colors and concept behind Sonia Coelho's BAI line of jewelry. Made from recycled materials like paper and fabric, Sonia creates colorful works of art! Starting at $40 CAD, her products can be found locally at Quelles Sensations on Sherbrooke or via Toca's website.

OM home on Design*Sponge and Product Sourcing

Thanks soooooooooo much to Grace at Design*Sponge for posting our apartment on her blog yesterday. We are really touched by her kind words and overwhelmed by all the positive feedback. Who knew? We certainly didn't! *blush*

As most of you already know, we're relocating to Toronto so we had Darren Curtis take these awesome apartment shots during our photo shoot for OM home's new products. Don't hesitate to contact me if you'd like more specific information on the property.

We've been getting lots of emails from people asking us about different pieces in our apartment so I thought a list of references would make it more readily available. We took a lot of trips to area second hand stores and purchased items on our travels, so my apologies for some of the vague references. If I've missed anything please contact me and I'll be sure to post it. Hope the information helps!

Thanks again to everyone for their kind words, it means a lot to us!

ENTRY

The entryway was a spur of the moment weekend project last summer. This space is on it's own floor so we kept it black and white to offset all the colors in the rest of the house. SOURCES: Coat Hooks: Harry, G Bench (spray painted black): West Elm (circa 2002), Wall mural and Bottom Framed Drawing: Me!, Chandelier: Urban Outfitters, Yellow hat: J. Crew, Top Drawing: Street artist on Queen St, Toronto, Curtains: IKEA, Walls: Benjamin Moore Simply White Semi Gloss (2143-70), Mural: Home Depot Black Enamel Paint


LIVING ROOM The main living area is a constant evolution for us as it’s usually the initial resting space for all of our new purchases. SOURCES: Chair in the back nook: A hand me down from Sanj's folks! , TV: A gift from my folks (Both sets of parents have donated to the space so I had to get them both in to be diplomatic)! , Other furniture: A second hand store in the Mile End area, name TBA , Painting above the fireplace: Street artisan in New Delhi, India , Pillows: OM home , Photographs on Bookshelves: Sanj! , Book on the Coffee Table: Barbershops, Wedding photograph on Mantel: my sister-in-law Anita, Walls: Benjamin Moore Simply White Semi Gloss (2143-70)


DINING ROOM

We love the extra cabinetry we built into the dining room side of the kitchen counter. Because of the extra storage, we didn't have to crowd the area with a credenza. We heart the table. SOURCES: Dining Table: We've gotten some inquiries about the custom made table in our dining room. If you're interested in getting one made, feel free to contact me, Chairs: A second hand store in the Mile End area, name TBA , Clock and frame: Local second hand stores (amazing what you find if you keep hunting) , Table Runner: a piece of Americana for when I’m homesick: Antique store in New York near the Canadian border, Vases: IKEA and West Elm, Red painting: Street artisan in Buenos Aires, Argentina , Antique Cabinet: Abhishek Accessories Store, Kolkata (I think?), Walls: Benjamin Moore Simply White Semi Gloss (2143-70)


KITCHEN By far our largest remodel, we started last year after our honeymoon and finished 5 long weeks later. We're very happy with the way the bottom cabinets soften the rest of the space. SOURCES: Cabinets: Covered with walnut veneer by a local artisan friend, a different (and fairly cheap) way to update cabinets , Bottom Cabinets: Benjamin Moore Nacho Cheese (2018-40) , White Shelves: West Elm , Magnetic Spice Holders: Bed Bath & Beyond , Lighting: Local secondhand store , Storage rack above stove: IKEA, Walls: Benjamin Moore Simply White Semi Gloss (2143-70)

BATHROOM

I freehand sketched and painted the ceiling when I first move to Montreal, I suppose as a way to mark my new territory! The vanity was custom made to match the kitchen but we added one of my designs onto the vanity and mirror to make it more fun. Now it’s my favorite room in the apartment. SOURCES: Bathroom vanity: A local artisan friend built the vanity and mirror from my designs and specs. I've actually received several emails about this piece... We can custom make a similar piece (or other piece of furniture) for you, contact me to discuss details! Walls: Benjamin Moore Simply White Semi Gloss (2143-70), Ceiling: Betonel Teal (8612 M) closest Benjamin Moore match is Teal Blast (2039-40)

BEDROOM

We love waking up in this room every morning because it’s so bright and airy. By keeping the room simple and clutter free, the warm woods are able to contrast well with any colorful accessories we put in the room. SOURCES: Wood Furniture: A second hand store in the Mile End area, name TBA, Bed: West Elm, "Peter Hvidt" daybed (closest find to what we have, the back is removed): A second hand store in the Mile End area, name TBA , Hanging Lamps: Bombay Kids , Right lamp and frame: Local secondhand stores , Handmade Paper: Au papier Japonais , Blue Mirrored light: Spoutnik , Retro Reproduction Stereo: TEAC, Walls: Benjamin Moore Mirage White Hi Gloss (2116-70)


UPSTAIRS OFFICE

This is where you’ll usually find me working on OM home, either on the drafting table or in front of the computer. Growing up, my father’s office was orange, so it only made sense to make this space orange too!SOURCES: Handmade Paper: Au papier Japonais , Antique Chinese Table: Tola , Orange Cabinets: CB2 , Orange Accessories: Hold Everything (defunct) , An original Joe Colombo Boby Storage Cart next to the drafting table, they have started production of these carts again: Spacify , Couch: A store in NYC on the SW corner of 30th and Park near my old apartment. The manager was extremely rude to his employee while I was picking out the fabrics. I’ll never go back there again and never recommend them to anyone , Mini Storage Unit on left: Target, Walls: Benjamin Moore Simply White Semi Gloss (2143-70)

Pictures of Our Apartment

We're moving to Toronto soon and will be sad to leave our little apartment that's been home to me for the last year and a half and 7 years (off and on) for Sanjeev. I asked Darren to document our apartment this weekend while he was here taking shots of my new products. We're really going to miss this house!

Our Entry This space is on it's own floor so we kept it B&W to offset all the colors in the rest of the house. We used "Harry" hooks and I painted the mural on the wall.

Living Room Always filled with light, this is our main living area. We've filled the space with splashes of color, including a painting over the mantel that we picked up from a street artisan in Delhi during our honeymoon. All the way in the corner by the window is a somewhat kitschy represenation of Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of knowledge, music and creative arts.

Kitchen and MezzanineWe redid our kitchen February by getting new corian and granite countertops and having a local artisan walnut veneer our cabinets with one long horizontal strip of veneer. Although you can't see it in this picture, the bottom cabinets are painted Benjamin Moore's Nacho Cheese color, a deep yellow/orange color that warms up the space. The lighting and frame were vintage finds and Sanj bought the red painting from a young artisan in Argentina. We designed the table and had it custom made here in Montreal. In the back is the door to our bedroom and upstairs is my office space and a lounge area. There are lots of pillows and fabrics in the office and bedroom, so I didn't post those spaces *blush*.

Bathroom

We had our vanity and mirror custom made locally from my designs. The ceiling design is another take on alpona that I painted one day when I first arrived here in Montreal. A way to make the space feel like home. Our first purchase as husband and wife was the washer/dryer set. Coming from a small apartment in New York with questionable laundry facilities, this was a momentous occasion for me and I refuse to cover it or hide it.

Namaskar!

Happy New Year and thank you for visiting our blog! We hope you’ll take some time to check out our website: OM home.

We have been very busy at OM home since launching in September, 2006. Our website is finally done and we’re accepting orders from the United States and Canada. Look for us at the Interior Design Show in Toronto from February 22-25, 2007 at the Direct Energy Centre, for more info, Click here.

Thank you to all the people who have received us so well over the last few months. We’re thrilled that so many people like our story and our products. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank some people who have really helped move this company forward: Paul Phoa for teaching me how to really understand color, Sumit Roy for ghost-writing, Darren Curtis for the amazing photographs, Alive Pro Studios for helping me with the website development, Sujata Guhathakurta for coordinating the product line in India, Grace Bonney at Design*Sponge for posting an amazing blog entry on OM home and last but certainly not least, Sanjeev Shah for believing in OM home (and me).

To show our gratitude to our customers, the first 25 retail orders from our website will receive a 20% discount (to be refunded after check out)!

Thank you!
Oorbee Roy