Inside a mini decor empire—with a little storefront in Leslieville

At first glance, this glossy decor shop on Queen East appears to be a small but chic husband-and-wife operation. Its owners, Nina Ber-Donkor and Prince Brefo-Donkor, live upstairs, and their puganese pup Chica snuffles around the shop’s Jonathan Adler furniture. But the city’s interior design insiders know Black Rooster is actually a mini decor empire. The shop only displays 10 per cent of the company’s items; the rest are up for sale online to Canadians and chic-seekers in the States.

While their storefront was closed during the lockdown, it was business as usual on their websites, and local shoppers headed to Instagram to inquire about their mixed-media collages and antique blanket ladders. The shop itself acted as an extension of their family space. Ber-Donkor could sneak off to answer emails, and their 19-year-old son, Elijah, would jam out on his guitar. Before they reopened in May, Ber-Donkor accumulated some 300 face masks for customers to use, and added a sanitizer spray bottle to the entrance. Still, she doesn’t allow more than three people inside at a time. 1075 Queen St. E., Unit 1, 416-465-7778, blackroosterdecor.com and blackroostermaison.com.

A few of their current favourite things…