Joanie Couillard: Living her own project
Word at the water cooler says that Joanie’s home is stunning. Several years ago, when she and her partner were looking around for a home, they knew one thing was for sure: for their next home, they were going to create their dream home, from the kitchen to the living room right down to the cupboards and drawers. Every square inch.
For Joanie, inspiration can happen anywhere, but especially when she’s travelling. When New York or Italy calls, it’s not for the food or selfie shots in front of Times Square or the Tower of Pisa. It’s for Greenwich Village and other neighbourhoods, where she spends days at a time soaking in the sights and vibe, packing her suitcase with ideas to take back home.
Not only did she and her partner have to envision their new home, they had to find the perfect spot to bring it to life. It took months of roaming the Web and Montreal’s streets to find it, which turned out to be at the heart of Mile End. Next came several deep breaths, as they demolished it down to the foundations in order to replace it with their dream version.
In the year and a half that followed, there was no shortage of doubt and people who lined up to offer words of caution. It helps that whenever Joanie’s blue eyes light up with an idea, you can expect miracles to happen. She knew what she wanted and went for it. After all, when you set out to create your perfect dream home, cutting corners isn’t on the table. Joanie’s strength has always been the tenacity to get things done. And it served her well here.
You have to take in Joanie’s home room by room, since each one stops you in your tracks and invites you to explore. It’s beautiful. Not in a trendy, disposable way. Beautiful in a jaw-dropping, speechless way. The light through the windows, the roomy, open spaces, the mid-century-inspired furnishings (each of them lovingly chosen), the patio that’s full of friends even in February – everything comes together perfectly. The wardrobes were measured to accommodate the exact amount of things the family has. The kitchen drawers hold all of the dishes and cutlery, and not one fork more. It’s actually quite amazing when you consider how each choice has been thought through in minute detail. Only a mustard-colour sofa unsettles the subdued white, black and grey décor – one her favourite pieces she stumbled across and that’s there to stay.
Since the end of 2018, the family has grown; Olivier has been joined by his little brother Henri. Not content to finally sit back and relax, Joanie has now set her eyes on another major project – her “Cottage” Pinterest page is beginning to fill up. For Joanie, the end of a project simply marks the start of another.
