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Camille Lalonde was hardly home and spent most of her time traveling for work. But when the pandemic hit and she lost her job, Lalonde suddenly found herself stuck in a space that didn’t quite feel like home.
That’s when she decided to finally put down roots in her Forest Hill apartment and embrace her love of unique and vintage items. She began scouring Value Village and Salvation Army; sometimes she even took home furniture she found on the sidewalk.
“I’m all about sustainability,” she said, adding that the only item she bought full price was a DIY credenza made from three IKEA IVAR cabinets.
The result is a cozy European-inspired space filled with items with a story to tell. Friends were so in love with her space that they took photos for inspiration.
And the experience was also life-changing – Lalonde decided to go back to school to study architectural design.
“I like to have unique items,” she said. “I like to be different.”
DH Homes Q&A
Name: Camille Lalonde
Neighborhood: Forest Hill
Type of house: Apartment
Size: 500 sq
Camille Lalonde
What is your favorite thing about your neighborhood?
The architecture. This is why I chose this neighborhood when I first moved to Toronto. I love older buildings and I knew this was the area for me.
How would you describe your design aesthetic?
Eclectic mid-century modern.

Camille Lalonde
How long have you lived in your home?
Ten years.

Camille Lalonde
What is the best and worst part of living in Toronto?
The best is how multicultural it is; the worst is how expensive it is to live here.

Camille Lalonde
Where do you get your decorating ideas?
To be honest, my head. The amount of ideas I get from just seeing a piece of furniture on the street is crazy. I want to save every piece of furniture from the landfill so I see a project in everything. I love following European decor pages on Instagram.

Camille Lalonde
What is your home’s best feature?
No doubt, my balcony.

Camille Lalonde
How has the pandemic shaped your space?
The pandemic has completely changed my space. I [travel for work] and was never home before and now that I had to spend all my time here I decided to finally take the time to make it my own. No one would recognize the space pre-pandemic.

Camille Lalonde
What is your favorite item in your home?
My favorite item is my rattan hanging chair in my living room. It’s from my grandfather and my mother always kept it for me.

Camille Lalonde
What is your biggest expense so far?
All my DIY! Recently I made an eight foot long credenza. I would say this was my most expensive project as most of them were [made with] new material and usually I source second hand items.

Camille Lalonde
And your favorite DIY project?

Camille Lalonde
What is your least favorite part of your home?
my room It’s quite empty, but I love an empty space to sleep in. Therefore, I put most of my energy into the rest of my space.

Camille Lalonde
Where do you usually find furniture and decorations?
I find my furniture along the way, vintage shops and my parents basement!

Camille Lalonde

Camille Lalonde
What is your decorating advice?
My biggest advice would be: go for it — don’t be afraid. Watch a lot of videos before doing something you saw on Pinterest or TikTok. Educate yourself about products and the staff at hardware stores are a great resource.
We have many more options than we think as renters. Many people do not want to invest in a space that is not theirs. But I think you should be proud of where you live whether you own it or not. Most owners also won’t disapprove of you upgrading their units.

Camille Lalonde
How do people usually react to your home?
When I first meet people and they add me on social media, they see my house and ask me if they can come over. Recently one of my friends visited for the first time and she was taking pictures for inspiration for her space. It was very flattering as I am in the process of becoming a designer. Also, often my friends would rather hang out on my balcony than go out.

Camille Lalonde
Answers have been edited for length and clarity. Interested in being featured in DH Homes? Check out our callout page here.