ELLE Decoration (UK)

At home with Design tastemaker­s and Canadian twins Byron and Dexter Peart

Design tastemaker­s and twins Byron and Dexter Peart both call the iconic Montreal apartment block Habitat 67 home. Now, they say, its emphasis on community and green space has never felt more relevant

- Words STEPHEN HEYMAN Photograph­y MAXIME BROUILLET Styling MICHAEL GODMER

It has been more than a decade since Byron and Dexter Peart – identical twins and dapper darlings of the Canadian design scene – bought apartments in the Montreal housing complex Habitat 67. In that time, they have watched the brutalist building morph from a point of reference for architectu­re aficionado­s into something like a national treasure.

Designed by Moshe Safdie, who at the time was a 24-year-old architectu­re student at McGill University, Habitat 67 was built as a pavilion at the Expo 1967 World’s Fair. A residentia­l prototype for the megalopoli­s of the future, it broke the traditiona­l apartment building into floating cubes interspers­ed with shafts of open space or elevated patios filled with herb gardens and fruit trees. The idea was to give city dwellers some of the airiness and greenery of a detached house. ‘For everyone a garden,’ as Safdie put it. While popular among students of architectu­re, the building failed to usher in a new style of urban dwelling. Now, though, its ethos seems to chime with a collective yearning for a new kind of city living brought on by pandemic-thwarting lockdowns.

For Dexter, its appeal is more than that, though. ‘When something is a half-century old and people are still taking pictures of it every morning while you’re having your coffee, it reminds you about the enduring potential of design done well,’ he says.

‘That challenges us so that everything we create has to meet that crazy standard.’

The brothers grew up in a Jamaican immigrant family in suburban Ottawa. They popped up on the fashion world’s radar in 2000, when they opened a tiny shop in Old Montreal, Want Stil, that became the first place in Canada to import many Swedish and Japanese designers. Next came their own line of luxury bags and accessorie­s, Want Les Essentiels de La Vie. Yet even as Want achieved new heights, the duo felt a strong desire to give back.

‘ We wanted to create ladders of opportunit­y,’ explains Dexter. ‘Maybe it’s because we’re twins and we’ve always been super-collaborat­ive, but we felt that in the future the big trend would not be competitio­n but cooperatio­n.’ And as black entreprene­urs, they knew from experience that too few openings exist for people of colour.

In 2017, they sold Want and, two years later, launched Goodee, a tightly curated online marketplac­e for homewares handpicked by the brothers as much for their social and environmen­tal value as for their beauty. The inventory runs the gamut from a straw bicycle basket handwoven at a cooperativ­e in Ghana to stylish children’s furniture upcycled from discarded plastic toys by the Antwerp-based company

ecoBirdy. Meanwhile, the brothers’ own apartments at Habitat 67 have, in some ways, become liveable laboratori­es for thoughtful, sustainabl­e design.

Inside Byron’s apartment, which he shares with his fashion-executive husband, Stefan Weisgerber, and a Beaglier puppy named Hugo, Goodee pillows – a collaborat­ion between the brand and the Ethical Fashion Initiative – share space with iconic pieces of furniture. Many of the Bauhaus-style items in the apartment were sourced from dealers in Stefan’s native Germany. Perfection­ists and students of design history, he and Byron have gone out of their way to restore the original elements of Safdie’s interiors, from the kitchen cabinetry to the glass shelving and mirrored walls.

While Byron’s place feels more like a gallery, Dexter’s home – which he shares with his wife, Maria Varvarikos, the founder of publicity firm Zoï Agency – is casual by comparison, full of souvenirs from vacations to India and Zakynthos, the Greek island where Maria’s family is from. It is also enlivened by the presence of the couple’s two daughters – Kaya, 10, and Sierra, seven

IN THIS NEW REALITY, PEOPLE ARE UNDERSTAND­ING WHAT WE’ VE ALWAYS KNOWN AS TWINS: HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BE CLOSE TO LOVED ONES

– who love everything about life at Habitat 67. When they’re not playing in the apartment’s plant-filled solarium, which Dexter says doubles as an ‘arts and craftsslas­h-slime playroom,’ Kaya enjoys strolling around the complex’s pyramid-shaped fountains. Meanwhile, her sister Sierra likes riding her scooter across the second-floor plaza or stargazing on the building’s rooftop.

Byron and Dexter have always had an affinity with Safdie’s vision for the future of city living, but the community of Habitat 67 – with its open-air corridors and private outdoor spaces – has seemed even more like a precious safe haven since the coronaviru­s outbreak. As the brothers gathered their families each week for a socially distanced glass of wine or quiet meal, they counted their blessings. ‘In this new reality, people are understand­ing what we’ve always known as twins: how important it is to be close to loved ones,’ says Byron.

In this respect, the mission of their new company – ‘good people doing good things’ – feels very of the moment. As Byron puts it: ‘I think Want was really about being out in the world. Goodee is about coming home.’ goodeeworl­d.com

 ??  ?? Byron left) and Dexter Peart, co-founders of the eco-design site Goodee, stand in front of Habitat 67, the brutalist landmark building where they each have an apartment
Byron left) and Dexter Peart, co-founders of the eco-design site Goodee, stand in front of Habitat 67, the brutalist landmark building where they each have an apartment
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 ??  ?? Byron’s dining room The vintage table is surrounded by Charles and Ray Eames’ ‘LCM’ chairs for Herman Miller. The ‘PH5’ pendant light is by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen and the gold tray on the table is by Skagerak. The artworks are by David Uzochukwu (left) and Richard Serra Right Byron sourced replacemen­t original features such as the kitchen cabinetry and mirrored walls
Byron’s living room The Antonio Citteriode­signed ‘George’ sectional sofa is from B&B Italia,
while the chair is the ‘Cesca’ by Marcel Breuer for Knoll. A ‘Potence’ wall light by Jean Prouvé for Vitra
stretches across the gallery wall, which includes works by André Monet and Guillaume Klootier. The rug is by Bauhaus master Gunta Stölzl, an archive of
whose designs can be found at Christophe­r Farr
Byron’s dining room The vintage table is surrounded by Charles and Ray Eames’ ‘LCM’ chairs for Herman Miller. The ‘PH5’ pendant light is by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen and the gold tray on the table is by Skagerak. The artworks are by David Uzochukwu (left) and Richard Serra Right Byron sourced replacemen­t original features such as the kitchen cabinetry and mirrored walls Byron’s living room The Antonio Citteriode­signed ‘George’ sectional sofa is from B&B Italia, while the chair is the ‘Cesca’ by Marcel Breuer for Knoll. A ‘Potence’ wall light by Jean Prouvé for Vitra stretches across the gallery wall, which includes works by André Monet and Guillaume Klootier. The rug is by Bauhaus master Gunta Stölzl, an archive of whose designs can be found at Christophe­r Farr
 ??  ?? Right and above Byron and husband Stefan enjoy one of Habitat 67’s many outdoor patios and courtyards Byron’s bedroom Tekla bedding and a throw by Teixidors top the Ikea bed, while the dresser and nightstand­s are by USM. The ‘Heath’ chair is by Yabu Pushelberg for Linteloo and a ‘Taccia’ table lamp by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglion­i for Flos sits on the sideboard
Right and above Byron and husband Stefan enjoy one of Habitat 67’s many outdoor patios and courtyards Byron’s bedroom Tekla bedding and a throw by Teixidors top the Ikea bed, while the dresser and nightstand­s are by USM. The ‘Heath’ chair is by Yabu Pushelberg for Linteloo and a ‘Taccia’ table lamp by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglion­i for Flos sits on the sideboard
 ??  ?? Dexter’s living room He, Maria and the girls sit on a red ‘Hockney’ sofa by Claesson Koivisto Rune for David Design; the coffee table is from the same collection. Above hangs a ‘Light Shade Shade’ by Jurgen Bey for Moooi
Dexter’s dining room A ‘Light Extending’ table by Matthew Hilton for De La Espada and Ton chairs, with cushions covered in Svenskt Tenn’s ‘Celotocaul­is’ fabric by Josef Frank, create a light, bright space for family meals. The pendant light above is by Roll & Hill, while the ‘Oculus’ armchair is by Hans J Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn Dexter’s kitchen Slick and family-orientated, this bespoke space, with its large island, is more contempora­ry in feel
Dexter’s living room He, Maria and the girls sit on a red ‘Hockney’ sofa by Claesson Koivisto Rune for David Design; the coffee table is from the same collection. Above hangs a ‘Light Shade Shade’ by Jurgen Bey for Moooi Dexter’s dining room A ‘Light Extending’ table by Matthew Hilton for De La Espada and Ton chairs, with cushions covered in Svenskt Tenn’s ‘Celotocaul­is’ fabric by Josef Frank, create a light, bright space for family meals. The pendant light above is by Roll & Hill, while the ‘Oculus’ armchair is by Hans J Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn Dexter’s kitchen Slick and family-orientated, this bespoke space, with its large island, is more contempora­ry in feel
 ??  ?? Solarium (above) This sunny spot overlooks Montreal’s main port. The vintage chairs have cushions covered in Svenskt Tenn’s ‘Textile Window’ fabric by Josef Frank Dexter’s bedroom The bed, designed by Atelier Moderno, is dressed in Ralph Lauren bedding and topped with a blanket and pillow by Viso Project. The bedside tables are vintage designs by George Nelson for Herman Miller and the large artwork is by Alejandro Pasquale
See Stockists page for details
Solarium (above) This sunny spot overlooks Montreal’s main port. The vintage chairs have cushions covered in Svenskt Tenn’s ‘Textile Window’ fabric by Josef Frank Dexter’s bedroom The bed, designed by Atelier Moderno, is dressed in Ralph Lauren bedding and topped with a blanket and pillow by Viso Project. The bedside tables are vintage designs by George Nelson for Herman Miller and the large artwork is by Alejandro Pasquale See Stockists page for details

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