Nicolas Poulin: Life at a gentle pace

Living in the moment and trusting your instincts is clearly the personal philosophy of Nicolas Poulin, graphic designer at LG2’s Quebec City office. As you walk around his home on a quiet street in the Saint-Roch district, you quickly realize that everything has its place and its purpose. You note his clear attention to detail but also his desire to share and receive. You see that he’s chosen to slow down and live life at a gentle pace.

In the living room, two sofas face each other. There’s no TV to be found here – Nicolas says his home is a space for connecting. It’s a place free from distractions, a cocoon where he can spend quality time focusing on what matters most: primarily, his partner Maxine. His first teenage love, she not only adds colour to his life, but also to the decor of their home. She’s his partner in every adventure and his sous-chef when it’s time to get cooking.

Nicolas’ love for food has long been a part of his life. He fondly remembers family meals when he was younger and expanding his culinary knowledge with the help of his university roommate. Since then, he’s really leaned into his foodie persona, always looking out for new gastronomic experiences and challenges for him and Maxine to explore.

His current passion is fresh pasta and homemade pizza. He devotes not only meticulous care but also time to these delicious concoctions. The rising, the resting, the kneading. Learning new techniques and the excitement of the culinary process allow him to be fully immersed in the moment: it all comes down to the pleasure of working with his hands.

And he never shies away from taking his passion for good food on the road. Good Eats in Hard Places confirmed his desire to gather a group of friends in a forest or hard-to-reach place to prepare an elaborate meal. Taking a pasta maker on a camping trip? Why not?

An outdoor enthusiast, Nicolas is particularly fond of skiing, a sport that allowed him to develop a close bond with his grandparents. They used to pick him and his brother up from school every Friday before heading to their chalet in Saint-Donat. This ritual still means a lot to him, and hurtling down the slopes is an important part of his life. On his fridge, alongside the photo booth pictures of him and Maxine, he keeps a tally of their ski trips as a way of motivating him to get out in the open air. With a smirk on his face, he admits that Maxine skis faster than he does – a touch of pride appears in his eyes as he talks about his better half.

A few times throughout the season, Nicolas likes to get up at the crack of dawn to go cross-country skiing and watch the sunrise (another challenge!). It’s his 5 to 9 before his 9 to 5, and he finds it exhilarating to be the first one on the freshly groomed snow. When the trails become too crowded, that’s his cue to leave and go for brunch. He never ignores the call of his taste buds.