Montreal shopping - Light up your life...
Walking by, you won't necessarily notice Comptoir d'Ailleurs, especially if you're hurrying along in -20º celsius weather. The long black curtains in the windows hang to create some darkness, out of which its glowing merchandise can emerge. Premium quality paraffin candle holders, made in twenty-seven different colors, rest on shelves, tables and water basins. Some are imposing enough to stand on the floor.
Photographer Pierre Choinière and stylist Claudine Blanchet opened the gallery/boutique last October. The holders are made in Morocco by Amira Bougies and sail across the Atlantic before nestling into their first North American home.
Comptoirs d'Ailleurs isn't simply a store...it's an experience. The theatrical setting inspires a craving for beauty, romance and relaxation. Ultimately we are exposed to the splendor of lights that only darkness can surround. In our fast-paced world filled with street, fluorescent, led, neon and christmas lights, Comptoir d'Ailleurs offers a pocket of quiet and calm, soothing our senses...coaxing us to slow down and inhale.
Comptoir d'Ailleurs- 4817 St. Laurent blvd. (514) 940-0265. The holders come in many shapes, sizes and colors; something for all tastes. They retail from 20$-400$; something for all budgets.
