Christine Flynn is best known for her shop Love the Design (also known as LTD) which curated one-of-a-kind home goodies in her style that she describes as Canadian rough luxe with a modern twist (phew, that was a mouthful but so true). This past year she closed up shop to pursue her multi-faceted and artistic eye as a photographer. Her ethereal resin-coated works highlight her lust for travel and document surfers in California or bison in Wyoming and Alberta (her most recent stop was Iceland which she’s debuting in Boston’s Au Gallery right now). The decision is paying off. She has galleries in Paris, New York, Tokyo and Toronto and her work is available at design destinations Restoration Hardware and One Kings Lane (where you can snap up an affordable print). Previous to Love the Design, Christine was in the ad biz pursuing life as a designer, so this is the second time she’s pivoted her career within 10 years during which she had 2 sons, Hudson and Harrison.
How do you do it? “As an entrepreneur you take a lot of risks, a lot of sleepless nights and moments of doubt. Getting through those times for me, meant relying a lot on my husband not only to support with the boys and the logistics of life but to also be my cheerleader and someone who always keeps me honest with the goals I have set out for myself and my work.
How do you know when it’s time to make a career change? “Well there sure isn’t a formula for this one. I guess its like when you find ‘the one’, you know when you know.”
“Our first road trip together was to the Catskills & NYC. We stayed at the Graham and Co. and then The Standard Highline. I’m a big believer in hotels being an extension of your home. Like me, the boys appreciate a design aesthetic wherever we stay. It’s always an exciting moment to swing open our hotel room door after a long journey and see what’s waiting for us.”
Are you happy that you closed the shop? “It was definitely the right decision and I do not have any regrets. It’s no secret that retail can be really tough and I was feeling a natural pull to focus more on my art. I am so grateful for the shop and the amazing opportunity it afforded me but my focus now has certainly allowed me to see the full potential that my art career can be.”
What do you hope for most for your kids? “We are losing touch with the human connection and isolating ourselves from real life experiences. In light of all this and as obvious as it may seem, I genuinely want my boys to just be happy. A lot of that will come with meaningful connections and the experience of travel and culture to help shape the men they will become.”
How do you like to create experiences for your sons? “I started going on a road trip with them every summer without my husband. My husband Niall and the boys have their things and this trip is just for us. It gives me a chance to have more one-on-one conversations and get in tune with them in a way that I don’t on a day-to-day basis because I’m so busy organizing them and myself. I even started a tradition where we rent a really fun car like a jeep and make a new play list together that makes for some fantastic back seat singing and windy, top down rides.”
A Little Friendly Hallow’s Eve Tradition “This year will my 9th annual pumpkin carving brunch where the parents carve the pumpkins and the kids judge. Whoever wins gets a vintage trophy that gets passed around from one winner to the next. It’s my favourite day of the year.”
Does raising boys ever freak you out? “Growing up with three younger sisters, a life with girls was really all I knew so discovering that I was having a boy, and then another one, was naturally daunting but exciting at the same time. It completely opened my eyes to an entirely different world, one that makes me feel super fortunate to navigate life through their lens. When I’m stuck, I have my real life experts—my family and friends. Their knowledge has been a constant resource that I tap into during moments of motherhood frustration.”
Your sons are already approaching their tweens. What advice do you have for new moms? “There will be good times and bad. Remember everything is a phase. Roll with the dice and embrace the moments of insanity because just around the corner is a moment of endearment.”
HOME TOUR A family home that’s impossibly chic, rustic and modern
THIS COUCH IS #MADSICK
LET’S GET REFLECTIVE
PRAYING FOR TIME
KIDS LIVE HERE
FOR THE LOVE OF OUTSIDE
NOT SO STILL LIFE
WE WANT TO EAT TAKE-OUT HERE
HOLD EVERYTHING
RESPECTFULLY HERS
GET READY, GET SET, GET RESTED
MY FAVOURITE THINGS
A painting by artist Bradley Wood. “We met three years ago and we’ve stayed friends ever since. I’m so lucky because I’m obsessed with his work. The colours are rich and moody and I do love a nude.”
Christine also goes gaga for artful baubles. “The ring on the left is from Michele Varian, a shop in New York that’s on my hit list. And the bear I got from Jenny Bird.”
Stag. Antlers. Silver. Gold. Vintage. It’s 5 of her favourite things. How could she (or any one of us) not bring this home?
She nabbed this Percival Lafer chair before it even went online. It’s lounge-y. It’s fabulously worn-in. It’s dope. It’s from Guff (natch).
The must-reads that have revved up her imagination. The Girl Who Was Saturday Night, The Goldfinch and The Girl on The Train.
Easy beauty routine: FC5 Moisturizing Night Creme and Eye Creme; Le Labo EDP in Santal 33; Gee Beauty MIneral Sheer Tint, Benefit They’re Real Mascara and Lise Watier Lash Booster Mascara
