The Retrophiles

In 2002, Shauntelle LeBlanc joined Lavalife. She was an interior designer looking for a partner who shared her passion for retro decor but didn’t have retro ideas about domestic life. “I’m not going to clean your house,” she wrote in her profile.

On her first date with Dave, an audio producer, they visited an abandoned home to admire its mid-century accents: the colourful bathroom, two-storey fireplace and concrete geometric pool. The couple married in 2003 with a reception at Bowlerama West in Etobicoke.

Related: How one couple transformed an old church into a polychromatic playhouse

In 2009, Shauntelle purchased Ethel 20th Century Living, a shop selling vintage furniture, lighting and decor. She relocated the business from Leslieville to Corktown and then, in 2018, to its current location, near Coxwell and Danforth. The couple left their downtown condo and moved into the unit above the store. “We’ve always loved the idea of being old-fashioned storekeepers who live above the shop,” says Dave.

The place had dirty vinyl floors and oppressive lighting. So they replaced the knob-and-tube wiring, redid the drywall and restored the vitrolite signage on the exterior. Then they filled the space with quirky items—including a tiki bar in the basement. They may have prioritized novelty over resale value, but they stand by the choice. “This is our home,” says Shauntelle. “We can do what we like with it.”