What designer turned boutique owner Kaelen Haworth is coveting in home decor

Kaelen Haworth launched her eponymous fashion line at age 24, fresh out of New York’s Parsons School of Design, and started showing collections at New York Fashion Week. In 2017, she pivoted to start a size-inclusive label called Second Sight. But the design world can be tough on smaller brands, so after she and her husband, Simon, moved home to Toronto with their two sons in late 2020, she decided to focus on curating and styling. In the fall of 2023, Haworth launched her Queen West boutique, Absolutely Fabrics, where she showcases edited collections of daring looks, mostly from sought-after smaller brands that are hard to find in Canada. “I want to be that place of discovery,” she says. “I look for pieces that are special and exciting.” Her bold aesthetic also translates to her midtown home, which she transformed into a traditional yet relaxed oasis. Here’s what she’s loving in home decor.

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Stylish magazine

Acne Paper is a bi-annual hardcover publication by fashion label Acne Studios. “I’m a huge collector of high-quality fashion magazines—I have piles of old Love and System issues. I look at them for styling references.”

Wood sconce

Design studio Blue Green Works makes unusual yet elegant lighting. This halfpipe-inspired sconce is a tribute to skateboarding. “I discovered the brand after a friend suggested their products for Absolutely Fabrics, and now I’m obsessed with this sconce—I love the way the wood glows and the shadows it casts.”

Kooky vase

Dana Arbib works with artisans in Italy to make sculptural objects out of Muranese glass. “I know Dana from my time in New York. She decided to explore the medium after she discovered her family had ties to Venetian glass-blowing. Fixtures like these feel nostalgic, but the way she designs them is modern and special.”

Star-approved sofa

Originally created in 1970 by French designer Pierre Paulin, this modular sofa was brought to life by Paulin Paulin Paulin, the family business that continues his work. “This is my dream couch. It feels very ’70s, like its own conversation pit.”

Leather landline

Haworth saw this 1981 Contempra phone wrapped in leather on Etsy. “I recently got a landline because I was getting panicky that if I dropped dead, my kids wouldn’t know how to call 911. This would be my solution for a simple phone that still looks cool.”

Blob chair

This vintage cast-­aluminum chair was handmade in the 1990s from liquid aluminum poured over a custom form and hardened into a shell. “I’ve heard this is comfortable, but I still think I’d rather look at it than sit in it. I love the contradiction of the soft, rounded shape and hard aluminum.”

Statement block

Local furniture dealer and showroom Bonne Choice covered this wooden block in a 1980s veneer by Italian architect Ettore ­Sottsass. It can be used on its own as a coffee table or paired with other blocks to create a larger surface. “These pieces are a great way to add a playful touch to a communal space. They’re also a great alternative to marble.”