In an attempt to keep this space fresh, vibrant + lively, we’ve opened up this space for musings to some of the AHID team members, who can only be described as cool, stylish + having hella-good taste. As a collaborative-focused group of women, I feel it is only fitting to share this platform with some of my talented colleagues. Read on to discover our first “guest post” from AHID Team Member + Director of Accounts, Rachelle Babcock, as she shares some musings, inspiration + great spots to eat in this recount of her travels to Montreal, QB. – AH
Hello Bureau readers + thanks for clicking into my travel + design musings. As the world is starting to feel more and more like the world we used to know, I’m back into the swing of exploring, traveling + gathering inspiration from new places. In March, I traveled to Montreal to reinvigorate my senses with a change of scenery and there is no better place than the city of cobblestone, art, history and of course fabulous food and wine. Let’s dive in:
Starting out with a personal fave… street art. Montreal is covered in amazing murals, bringing a sense of life + artistry to the city that is truly effortless. Throughout the city, mural art is used to invigorate spaces + bring that sense of je ne sais quoi. The mural below depicts an illustration of Mordecai Richler – an acclaimed French-Canadian author who grew up down the street from here.
![Rachelle’s Montreal Highlights + Design Tips](https://bureau.amandahamiltondesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMG-8377-768x1024.jpg)
The AHID team is regularly inspired by street art and has used murals like these to add colour and character to interior spaces. A connection between the physical environment and the design, murals have the capacity to conjoin natural space with a curated creation, providing visual interest. Like these murals, we’ve also been seeing a resurgence of colour in design + fashion recently, which perhaps speaks to the lack of excitement + exploration that we’ve been experiencing due to the pandemic over the past 2 years (that felt like a decade!).
![Rachelle’s Montreal Highlights + Design Tips](https://bureau.amandahamiltondesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMG-8419-768x1024.jpg)
![Rachelle’s Montreal Highlights + Design Tips](https://bureau.amandahamiltondesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMG-8463-768x1024.jpg)
As in all areas of life – there is nothing to fear with bold colours! The general feel of design in Montreal is bold + playful, leaving lots of room for experimentation with bold colours + design. These murals bring tones into the streets, creating a feeling of liveliness on every block.
Taking a cue from the bold colours found in murals, Montreal definitely doesn’t shy away from being bold in other aspects like the colour blocking of this building. This multi-coloured, geometric mural inspired other design elements, like the geometric blocking found on the restaurant table:
![Rachelle’s Montreal Highlights + Design Tips](https://bureau.amandahamiltondesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMG-8435-768x1024.jpg)
Speaking of bold, there’s something to be said about putting modern finishes + concepts into historical buildings (something we love + take every opportunity we have to design in historical spaces – see Rodney’s Oyster House here in YYC for an example we love) which is super popular in Montreal due to the existence of amazing historical buildings all over the city.
![Rachelle’s Montreal Highlights + Design Tips](https://bureau.amandahamiltondesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMG-8396-768x1024.jpg)
This beautiful cafe is located in an old Bank. The integrity of the building is maintained while juxtaposed with some modern features such as the swing lights.
Below is a restaurant that features a whimsical, hidden banquette that provides a semi-private experience while utilizing the already carved out spaces in a unique + interesting way. The exposed multi-coloured brick gives the space that perfectly imperfect rawness.
![Rachelle’s Montreal Highlights + Design Tips](https://bureau.amandahamiltondesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMG-8409-768x1024.jpg)
Another amazing space (+ place to dine) is this restaurant, VinVinVin, it had the most amazing open concept design for their version of “wine by the glass” (different from our western-norm of a long list of wine by the glass, the Montreal standard is bottles or a “wine of the day” that can be served by the glass). In this restaurant, this practice is featured through the polished metal piping that is both interesting + functional for bringing me my fav glass of red.
![Rachelle’s Montreal Highlights + Design Tips](https://bureau.amandahamiltondesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMG-8842-768x1024.jpg)
Keeping in the food scene… So many restaurants + businesses have these amazingly playful illustrations that add to the cool feeling of the city. I don’t know about you, but anywhere that has this style of logo is just speaking my language.
![Rachelle’s Montreal Highlights + Design Tips](https://bureau.amandahamiltondesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMG-8859-768x1024.jpg)
![Rachelle’s Montreal Highlights + Design Tips](https://bureau.amandahamiltondesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMG-8864-768x1024.jpg)
Let us know what your favorite parts of Montreal are or throw your restaurant recommendation in the comments below.
- Rachelle