When Luna Lindsay moved into her two-bedroom Greektown apartment five years ago, the place was lifeless. Drab black trim bordered soulless grey walls. The home’s rare patches of colour had been suffocated, like the bathroom’s pink tiles, which were covered by a layer of acrylic paint. At first, she was hesitant to dive into a renovation because she had a roommate’s less-eclectic tastes to consider. But, after her roommate moved out two years later, the now-32-year-old candle maker and lifestyle influencer committed to a full DIY glamification. Her two dogs, Judy and Elmer, and her boyfriend, Bruce Forrest, who works in sales, became semi-willing ride alongs.
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The final result is the Pastel Palace: an energetic, maximalist space brimming with one-of-a-kind pieces and disco paraphernalia. “I’d describe my home aesthetic as peak dopamine decor,” says Lindsay, referencing an interior-design trend predicated on the idea that vibrant colours, whimsical patterns and nostalgic pieces can boost a person’s mood. “As adults, we’re taught to push colour out of our lives and focus on neutrals. But leaning into colour and eye-catching patterns makes me so much happier.”
There’s also a strong disco ball theme, which starts in the living room. Lindsay has lost count of the number of disco balls on the premises, but she’s sure it’s over 200. It all started with a souped-up pink gumball machine, which now holds 140 mini disco balls.
“I’d seen someone online do a much smaller disco ball gum machine. So, when I found this at the Aberfoyle flea market in Guelph, I knew it was the perfect statement piece.” It was originally red, so Lindsay started with a paint job—that was the easy part. Toronto Dollaramas only stock up on mini disco balls a few times a year, she says, which meant it took almost three months to track down enough to fill up the machine. “In the morning, it reflects light from the window into the whole room.”
Other custom pieces include the neon sign above her record player, which was made by Yellow Pop and uses shapes from Lindsay’s candle collection, and her cloud-shaped wooden coffee table, which was made by a woodworker friend. And, of course, there are an array of Lindsay’s wax creations from her candle brand, Moonwix.
Throughout her ongoing search for bespoke pieces, Lindsay has developed an encyclopedic knowledge of Toronto’s local artists and furniture makers. From that pool, she’s commissioned a series of self-referential paintings that reflect the Pastel Palace back on itself. One illustration by Slick Satan envisions Lindsay’s house in Polly Pocket form, including a version of Lindsay herself as a doll. Another, by Jules Monson, features Lindsay’s hand reaching into her own living room to light candles.
The kitchen is characterized by shades of pink, a colour range that Lindsay has become somewhat of an expert at deploying. “If I see a colour and I immediately love it, I just know it’s going to work for whatever wall or item I have in mind,” she says. Case in point: Lindsay came across the peel-and-stick wallpaper for her fridge on Instagram. “I thought it was super cool, and the person who made it told me it would work on a fridge, so I went for it.”
The kitchen is also home to a collection of miniature ceramic homes known as the “spice village.” After coming across two of these whimsical storage devices at a market, Lindsay went on a hunt for more. “It became a whole part of my personality,” she says. She now has 15, a mix of Avon- and Lenox-brand mini-dwellings. “I’ve had opportunities to get others, but I only buy the ones that I would be down to live in.” And, yes, they do house actual spices.
Lindsay eventually rescued the aforementioned pink tiles in the bathroom, using paint thinner to reveal their full glory. “There are no windows in the bathroom,” she says. “I could only be scraping away at the acrylic paint that was covering them for 20 minutes at a time before coming up for air.”
Lindsay adorned the toilet with a matching pink seat, who’s predecessor went viral—but not for the reason she’d hoped. “I didn’t realize there were different sizes of toilet seats, so I originally ordered the wrong size. I filmed a video of me putting it on, thinking no one would notice. I was completely wrong.” The video racked up over a million views on TikTok, where commenters were preoccupied with the sizing issue. “I didn’t know people would get so pressed about someone else’s toilet,” Lindsay says.
Beside the counter, which is another testament to the power of peel-and-stick wallpaper, is a pink Cadillac toilet paper holder. “I like that it looks like it’s crashing into the wall,” Lindsay says. Cars, she adds, are a good example of why retro design is superior to modern. “If you look at cars nowadays, they’re all a copy-and-paste of one another. Nothing has a specific story. Vintage cars have so much more character, which is what I’m always going for.”
The bedroom contains the only IKEA piece in the whole place, a locker-style red cabinet (officially, a Kolbjörn). “My boyfriend brought it with him when he moved in, and I tried very hard to convince him to get rid of it. Eventually, I gave in—I realized it went with the vibe in here.” While Lindsay likes to joke about her boyfriend’s resistance to her aesthetic, she says he’s actually completely supportive and has been an essential part of the DIY renovations. “Without him, none of the wallpaper would have made it onto the walls.”
A couple of the unique pieces in this room were brought over from the UK by a friend of Lindsay’s. They include the mailbox beside her side table—which used to be a real, functioning English post box—as well as a tall pink poodle rocking red nail polish. “I told my boyfriend I was getting the poodle, and he thought I was kidding,” she says. “I don’t know why he thought I’d joke about something like that.”
While the room does have conventional closet space, Lindsay displays what she calls the “dopamine rack,” which houses her most special items of clothing. “Every time I look at it, I feel inspired,” she says. “Flipping through these is often the first thing I do when I’m putting an outfit together. Plus, this way, people can see my favourite wardrobe pieces when they come over.”
These days, the apartment is feeling almost finished, but there’s one final frontier: the ceilings. “I keep looking up at my ceilings because there’s nothing else left for me to do,” Lindsay says. Luckily, she may soon have access to new blank canvases. “A few people have reached out asking if I do interior design for others. That’s definitely something I want to do more of. I love that people are looking at my space and feeling inspired to add more fun and more colour into their own lives.”
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