Consider yourself an aesthete? Don’t miss these five Ontario modern design gems
Situated amidst the fabric retailers, foam rubber specialists and antiques shops of Hamilton’s Ottawa Street North, Filter boutique is an oasis of clean lines, oiled teak and midcentury modern cool. For owner Mike Mason, it’s the culmination of a decades-long obsession with furniture, art and architecture from the 1950s and 1960s, a preoccupation which has made him one of Ontario’s foremost specialists in midcentury modern antiques. Following a successful two-decade run as the owner of the Queen West Antique Centre in Toronto, Mason and his wife, Amy (who have lived in Hamilton since 2002), opened Filter in 2018.
“Our specialty has always been designer pieces with an emphasis on midcentury modern, but we try to add interest by mixing in designs from different eras and styles,” says Mason. This means an ever-changing selection of vintage pieces from designers like Eames and Herman Miller, lighting from Danish manufacturer Louis Poulsen and contemporary sofas from Toronto’s Gus* Modern, along with a smattering of unique artwork, quirky bric-a-brac and other rare finds. As a longtime booster of all things cool and retro, we asked Mason to weigh in on his favourite destinations for modern design in his neighbourhood and beyond.
Synonym Shop (328 James St. N., Hamilton)
Hamilton’s urban renewal is evident at this impeccably stylish neighbourhood restaurant, café, bookstore, wine bar and bottle shop featuring an elegant terrazzo bar and furniture by Muuto. “They did a beautiful job with the whole look of the interior,” says Mason. “And they do an amazing job of curating what they sell, whether it be books or food.”
Hamilton City Hall (71 Main St. W., Hamilton)
“It’s a great example of the International Style of architecture, and I’m just blown away by the interiors,” says Mason of this heritage structure designed by Stanley Roscoe, inaugurated in 1960, and extensively updated in the aughts. “If you’ve never been there, it’s worth dropping by.”
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery (72 Queen St., Oshawa)
“Pretty much everyone knows the McMichael Gallery [in Kleinberg, ON], but fewer people know about this one,” says Mason, praising both the architecture and collection of this Oshawa institution. Built in the modernist style in 1969 and updated by famed architect Arthur Erickson in the 1980s, its permanent collection features a large number of works by Painters Eleven, a group of Canadian abstract artists active in the 1950s and 1960s.
Mjölk (2959 Dundas St. W., Toronto)
From Scandinavian furniture to Japanese pottery, this Toronto boutique specializes in all things minimalist and handmade. “They are very good at picking out obscure designers from around the world and presenting a cohesive selection,” says Mason. “Whether it’s lighting or furniture or kitchen wares, they would be on par with any of the better stores in Copenhagen or Stockholm.”
Briarcliffe Heritage Conservation District (Rothwell Heights, Ottawa)
One of the best collections of midcentury modern residential architecture in Canada, this two-street Ottawa subdivision was granted protected status in 2013. “Great to see it has a conservation designation now,” says Mason, praising the variety of modern homes built in the 1960s whose architects were inspired by the work of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, and other titans of mid-20th century design.
heritageottawa.org/events/briarcliffe
