Kala House of Colour pops up in Leslieville

Who couldn't use a splash of colour on these dreary, grey days of fall? Kala House of Colour, a new pop-up shop to come to Leslieville, has opened its doors on Queen East offering a palette of colours with its handcrafted home goods, furniture and gifts.

Taking inspiration from Provence and India, Kala House of Colour blends vintage style with vibrant colours to create a range of spectacularly vivid linens, throw pillows, pyjamas and other textile-based items.

Leslieville resident Claire Jordan started Kala House of Colour after spending two-and-a-half years living in India where she became enamoured with the country's rich textiles. When she returned to Toronto, she brought with her a cache of table linens, bedding and women's wear and the Kala House of Colour label became a way of introducing the fabrics here.

"There's no end to the the textile wonders you can discover all across India," Jordan says, citing one particular decor shop in Delhi as her main source of inspiration.

"The prints are somewhat traditional bird and floral prints you would find in Provence or in an English cottage, but it's the colour that sets them apart," she says. "They're turquoise and fuchsia pink and orange and bright yellow. It's traditional country-style, just turned up a few notches in the colour department. I love the East-meets-West fusion of aesthetics, and I felt there wasn't anything quite like this back at home."

After two other successful pop-ups — in Kensington Market and Port Carling, Muskoka — earlier this year, Jordan partnered with local furniture designer, House of Ansley, to make use of an empty commercial space on Queen just east of Pape for the holiday season.

The pop-up shop has a wide-ranging collection of textiles, up-cycled and vintage furniture, plus stationary from Ecojot and other gift items to complement the season.

"One of my top sellers are the cotton, hand-screen-printed women's kimonos," she says. "They come in one size, so they're a great gift as they're easy to fit. I also have pyjamas and nightdresses."

The shop also has table linens in a range of sizes, shapes and colours priced from $68 to $178, and placemat and napkins sets starting at $30. Patchwork bedding and selection of throw pillows are also available.

"You can mix or match prints across different products, which is a great option to have. Who wouldn't want a kimono to match their quilt?"

Kala House of Colour is running until Dec. 20 at 1027 Queen St E, just east of Pape on the south side jutting up against the Oben Flats building currently under construction. Visit kalahouseofcolour.com for more information.