You have to climb a series of steps from Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine to cross the threshold of this house dating from 1920. The beauty of yesteryear features opulent woodwork that is no longer seen today: a classic shell, revisited with a touch of insolence and a lot of humor by a decoration enthusiast who doesn’t care about preconceived ideas about “beautiful” and “good taste”!
“What would be the equivalent of pizzazz, in French? », asks Léonie Emmanuelle Duperré. “Panache, bite,… va-va-voum? », we suggest, trying to find the perfect synonym to describe the aesthetic affinities of our host. A single glance at his creations and his environment, however, allows you to do without words.
“I had an affection for modern style houses mid-century. This was a thousand miles from what I wanted,” she confides. Her husband, the businessman and former CEO of Cirque du Soleil Daniel Lamarre, however, managed to convince her of the relevance of this purchase, sealed in 2008.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Original woodwork sits alongside modern accents and decorative objects.
From this centenarian who saw the designer Marie Saint Pierre grow up, she appreciates the stature and the details. She also had the wisdom not to alter anything of this well-preserved heritage, other than to reconfigure the kitchen where light now comes generously. His touch is rather recognizable in his way of dressing this architectural body by shaking up conventions. Its tailor-made decor is unlike any other.
I have always designed my environments myself. I couldn’t see myself living in someone else’s setting.
Léonie Emmanuelle Duperré, entrepreneur and jack-of-all-trades
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
The kitchen, redesigned by Léonie Emmanuelle Duperré, brings light into the house with its large windows overlooking the courtyard.
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
A sculpture by Armand Vaillancourt and a work by Jean Paul Riopelle adjoin that of Léonie’s son, Baltimore Loth.
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
In this eclectic setting, nothing takes itself seriously or tries to fit into any trendy mold.
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Here and there, paintings created by family artists, including this photo (left) taken by Léonie Emmanuelle and graffitied by her son, Baltimore, and this painting (right) signed by her father, Pierre Duperré
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
The bronze offered by astronaut Julie Payette
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The visit to the place is accompanied by numerous anecdotes, each object having its own little story. “I love this sculpture. It is by Armand Vaillancourt. Do you see this “stone”? It’s one of three bronzes that traveled with Julie Payette to the International Space Station…”
With enthusiasm, she continues her enumeration, then worrying that this information will be perceived as a display of names or assets. “Surrounding myself with beauty and objects that touch me calms and comforts me. »
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
A disco ball, furniture mid-century modern and shepherdesses meet in this eclectic setting.
Added to these sentimental finds are several paintings and sculptures signed by his father, the painter Pierre Duperré, as well as his sons, Baltimore and Arthur Loth, both multidisciplinary artists. Irreverent winks complete this exploded aesthetic which combines the antipodes: the traditional, a disco ball and a Kidrobot giant in neon pink.
I like a decor not to take itself seriously. This house is a house of party !
Léonie Emmanuelle Duperré, entrepreneur and jack-of-all-trades
Léonie’s cushions
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
The cushions, creations by Léonie Emmanuelle Duperré, adorn a sofa. Behind, a work by Baltimore Loth
Léonie Emmanuelle Duperré is a self-taught designer, a jack of all trades, an esthete, we understand. At 16, she dropped out of school to pursue a career as a model which took her to several corners of the world, including Paris, Milan, Berlin and São Paulo. At 24, ready to change her life, she followed her father’s advice and returned to school at the New York Film Academy. She became a photographer, then a photo director in Miami.
Motherhood will put this nomadic life on hold. “I loved immersing myself fully into motherhood. All this time, I never stopped sewing, photographing, creating,” she explains. Create as a “visceral need”: jewelry, clothes and, now, cushions.
During a pandemic, with extra energy to expend, she took out a roll of toile de Jouy that she had on hand and set about transforming it. The result, cushions whose classic style is too expected for his taste, ends up being transformed with ostrich feathers, fringes, reflective strips and pompoms. This project, started for the pleasure of making and giving his creations as gifts, ultimately became the start of another new beginning.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Cushions with style funky
This fall, Les trouilles de Léonie launched its range of hand-made cushions. There is no shortage of ideas for expanding the range: dog bags, poufs, caftans, home accessories… “I am often told that my cushions are very “me”. I have a classic side that comes from my childhood, but, like my mother and my grandmother, I have this eccentric side. » Her house, with its traditional and deliberately crazy aspects, also resembles her, she ends up admitting. “Because a decor or decoration must make you smile”, with a large dose of… pizzazz !
Léonie cushions, sold between $250 and $400 each, are available on the online store and in Montreal, at BOND Vintage. They can also be found at the Marie Saint Pierre boutique in Miami, at Massimo Frank Lighting in West Palm Beach and at Muse in Brussels.