Inside The Sleepover, a slumber-themed pop-up from Thisopenspace

Inside The Sleepover, a slumber-themed pop-up from Thisopenspace

Photograph by Kayla Rocca

Thisopenspace co-founders Yashar Nejati and Adam Bent launched their online real estate marketplace back in 2015. Today, their company provides instant access to hundreds of beautiful, temporarily unused spaces—whether it’s someone’s industrial loft, a well-designed café or the old Unilever soap factory. The places are generally owned by regular individuals or companies looking for some extra cash or exposure, and, whenever they’re not in use, they can be rented by the hour for short-term events like photoshoots or bridal showers.

Before starting Thisopenspace, Nejati and Bent ran a roving pop-up shop in Vancouver, which they still own today. They decided to bring that model—in which they help cool brands who may not have the resources to rent their own trendy shop—to Toronto with a pop-up shop on Queen West called The Sleepover. It stocks the type of sleep-centric stuff (mattresses, aromatherapy goods, silk pyjamas) that’s tough to buy online without first being experienced. Shoppers can scope out 35 brands devoted to various stages of shut-eye, from Tokyo Smoke to breakfast subscription company Oatbox. There’s even an anti-snoring device.

The 3,000-square-foot shop was provided by Thisopenspace partner Hullmark Property Development (they worked together on Kanye West and The Weeknd pop-ups), and will also play host to events like meditation workshops. It was designed by Thisopenspace’s Mo Shabani:

Photograph by Kayla Rocca

He also installed the mobile-like installation above the entrance:

Brands can buy into the pop-up at a few different levels. For instance, Endy had to shell out a lot more cash to be featured so prominently at the front of the shop (naps are encouraged):

Shoppers can stock up on Vancouver-based brand The Sleep Shirt, makers of comfortable sleepwear that can also pass for brunch attire. Cozy Pendleton blankets are also up for grabs:

Photograph by Kayla Rocca

Harvest Pillows is a Montreal company that fills its pillows with buckwheat hull. They’re more comfortable than they sound, and they’re hypoallergenic and surprisingly cool to the touch:

Toronto furniture brand Kroft sells some of its bedroom fixtures, like this mirror and stool, in the pop-up:

Meditation device Muse is also on hand. The headband senses your brain activity and plays sounds that get meditators back in the Zen zone:

The shop has a selection of sage bundles, scented candles and Tokyo Smoke’s pretty pipes, bongs and ashtrays:

Mary Young’s bralettes are made from a particularly soft bamboo-blend jersey:

Anyone who’s ever dated a snorer will appreciate this anti-snoring device from Smart Nora, which automatically tilts the snorer’s pillow up when the first sounds of snoring are detected:

We love the walnut breakfast-in-bed platters from Vancouver designer Kate Duncan:

Until December 31. 950 Queen St. W., sleepover.xyz