Inside Miss Pippa’s, a charming new flower shop and wine bar in Brockton Village
Partners Adam Moco and Anton Levin met while they were both living in Portugal, on self-imposed sabbaticals from their regular lives. Moco’s a photographer and drag queen from Toronto, while Levin’s a Swedish florist who had been running a flower business in London for six years. They moved to Toronto in the summer of 2018, got married and decided to start a project together. They live in Brockton Village, and one morning when Anton was getting his morning espresso from the Brockton Haunt, he noticed the space next door was up for lease. He decided to jump on it, and they signed the lease this past January.
With Anton’s experience, they knew they wanted to open a flower shop, but decided to fill it with even more things they love. The result is a shop-slash-bar, combining flowers, gifts, wine and cheese—a concept that’s common in Europe, but still somewhat new to Toronto. The couple loves to entertain, and wanted to recreate the feeling of being in someone’s home. They spent the winter redecorating the shop with funky wallpaper and eclectic furniture and decor. Now, the cozy, stylish space is perfect for sipping a glass of Portuguese wine, browsing bouquets of wild flowers and sourcing a locally made housewarming gift. Here’s a look inside.
They called the place Miss Pippa’s, after their dog Pippa. It’s also an ode to drag queens: Adam’s drag name is Miss Moço, and he started a competition in Portugal called Miss Drag Lisboa. Anton didn’t have a plan for the decor. “I knew I liked stripes, and I went from there,” he said:
This feature wall is a mix of Adam’s photography and their friends’ art:
Their floral aesthetic isn’t too put-together, which means visitors can find plenty of natural-looking blooms that will look perfectly rustic on a country table. “I don’t like anything pretentious,” says Anton:
The wine list is mostly from Portugal and France. They also serve cheese boards, fresh summer salads and snacks like homemade pickles:
The candies, on the other hand, are Swedish, and have been super-popular so far:
They buy vintage vases from markets to create their own planters:
This radio belonged to Adam’s grandfather:
Scrunchies by Saskatchewan artist Allie Kell have been a hit so far:
Apothenie’s candles are hand-poured in Toronto, using eco-friendly soy wax, essential oils and recycled containers:
Visitors can also buy vegetable tote bags and vintage school charts from San Francisco company Cavallini and Co.:
1158 College St., 647-479-6913, misspippas.com.
