Ralph Roach answers the door of his downtown condo accessorized in Gucci.
Despite first impressions, he is not all about the label — he is, actually, the poster boy for high-low: His orchids are from Loblaws and yet “I always have Veuve (Clicquot champagne) on ice,” says Roach, apparently a walking conundrum.
He is the marketing director at Tiffany’s at Yorkdale and before that was senior marketing manager at Holt Renfrew’s Bloor St. store for seven years.
Roach admits to curb-surfing for castoffs to furnish his one-bedroom pad; he has taken unloved old cabinets and distressed them further — or paint it floral. The condo is value packed.
His chic condo is a vision in white with pops of colour — when we spoke, pink peonies added hits of vibrancy to his home. A former two-bedroom, Roach converted one into a walk-in closet; his living room, dining room and kitchen are open-concept.
He has been here since June, 2014, moving from a house on the Kingsway.
“I love being downtown and I love the lifestyle,” Roach says of his King West neighbourhood. “I was going to buy a fixer-upper in Parkdale but there was a bidding war and I walked away.
“I can fit 40 people here — it is 1,190 square feet. This is a hot area for real estate, there are tons of restaurants and I can walk everywhere.” He says his suite “has a huge patio that looks onto a park and I can see the CN Tower.
He was born in Montague P.E.I., grew up in Fredericton, N.B., and moved to Toronto some 20 years ago to study fashion at Ryerson. He paid his tuition working in retail: selling Levis and Frye boots at Thrifty’s, then onto the Gap, Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma, and finally Urban Outfitters where he worked his way up to general manager.
They share real estate with four gilt mirrors from Winners. “I drove all over Southern Ontario to find them because they only had one,” he recalls. He took a female figure sculpture, originally silver, and bronzed it. The black-and-white glam photos in Ikea frames were also DIY. “I took fashion photos — Horst, Irving Penn, Helmut Newton — from a book and blew them up,” he explains.
All the white stuff: At centre stage in the living area is a vintage ottoman, his primary table top, covered in the same white slipcovers as his dining chairs. The ottoman sports a pair of white porcelain Chinese lions and bowls from iconic designer Elsa Peretti, a staple at Tiffany’s since 1974. “Her bowls were designed 40 years ago,” Roach explains.
The huge candle holders nearby are Tibetan column bases sourced from an architectural salvage boutique in The Junction. “I think I paid more for the candle holders than the dining-room table and chairs,” Roach allows.
A white country chest spouting flowers is a $3 yard sale score. “It was just cheap wood so I painted it with flowers to look old,” he explains. On top, a sculpture of metallic balls. “They are paperweights from Indigo and cost $1 each,” Roach recalls. “I glued them together and they look like something from the Art Shoppe.
“I love wood, shells, glass and rock,” he says. Indeed. A quartz rock crystal is used as a paperweight. Jars and jars of shells are everywhere, including a nautilus from P.E.I.
The pedestals in the living room come from the St. Lawrence Market and their accessories are random finds. “The pieces of horses are from the curb, taken as salvage,” he says.
Black lacquered cupboards contrast with all the white. The backsplash consists of mosaic tiles in greenish grey and white. It was originally black but Roach changed them. “My next career will be decorating,” he vows. He also changed the lighting. “The previous light fixtures were non-functional; it was so dark you couldn’t see to wash a dish. I added potlights and three hand-blown lights from Elte that look like fat milk bottles, cut off. I wanted it warmer.
The most prized possession in his minimalist bedroom is a Barbie Doll fashioned by celebrated shoe designer Christian Louboutin — still in pristine packaging. “I made Christian Louboutin sign my Barbie Doll,” he enthuses.
Scrubbing the tub: Expect the unexpected in the bathroom.
“There were two mini baths and I never used the tub,” he explains. “I’m not a tub guy.” Instead, the tub functions as a piece of décor — a white table beside it holds toiletries. Four framed coasters hang in the shower stall, lined in grey ceramic tiles.
Roach is a DIY guy, handy with glue gun and paint.
“I’d say my décor is eclectic,” he allows. “I like the tension of different styles — painted furniture that looks country against modern elements. I like the jolie/laide concept, (pretty with plain).
And then five more dressers and — voilà! — no more empty spaces.