Why this is Christine Vieira’s favourite room

Growing up in Toronto's Etobicoke area, Christine Vieira spent a lot of time in her dad's restaurant, which she says had the first wood-burning pizza oven in the city. She has been thinking of those early memories a lot lately. Vieira and her husband, Tom Bielecki, opened a restaurant of their own last year: Café Bar Pasta, in the city's Little Portugal neighbourhood. Armed with a degree in interior design from Ryerson University, the 35-year-old fashion stylist oversaw the trattoria's bold red-and-white decor while pregnant with her first child. Her son was born 10 months ago, around the same time as Café Bar Pasta opened its doors. "It was insane," says Vieira, who lives above the restaurant with her family (including a dachshund named Halle Berry) in an apartment she renovated and decorated. More insanity will ensue during World MasterCard Fashion Week, with Vieira attending the shows and running the restaurant. If she needs a break, she can walk upstairs to her open-concept living/dining room. "It's so airy and spacious because of the 14-foot ceilings and the skylights," Vieira says. "It's where I like to hang out."

The table

"It was my parents' and they got it when they were married. They blew their budget and bought this amazing Roche Bobois table. Even though they outgrew it, I always told them never to get rid of it, as I wanted it for my own space one day. So now here it is, in my own dining room. It's made of glass and acrylic."

The wall hanging

"This is a leftover from the new restaurant downstairs. We commissioned Jose Ortega, an internationally known artist, to do a piece for the restaurant. This was a bit that couldn't fit into the space so we took it for ourselves. It's made of acrylic. I like that it is bright red, punchy and fun."

The light

"This is a Modo Chandelier. I bought it at LightForm in Toronto. It reminds me of some vintage lamps that my grandmother gave me, which are in a different part of the apartment. It's sort of retro. In my own design work, I like to mix old and new, hard and soft. This light balances vintage with modernity."

The bookcase

"I collect beautiful art, fashion and design books. I always wanted a place to store them. I had this built in. It houses not only my books but the overflow from my shoe collection."

The chair

"This is an original Eames chair. My mom bought it for me when I graduated from design school. The Eameses were favourites of mine in design school. I visited Cranbrook, the famous [Michigan] architecture school where they studied. So this chair means a lot to me."

The carpet

"We bought this from a local carpet importer, B.J. Tavares. It is made out of vintage silk saris. It's a really beautiful piece that ties the room together."

The mousetrap

"This was a gift from my husband's former employer; it's a replica of a real Victor mousetrap. It's such a unique and hilarious piece. Every time I look at it, I laugh."