Appliance Love
A passion for appliances meets cinematic design.
As is the case in most romantic sagas, it took some time for Appliance Love founder Marco Tallarico to admit his affection for ovens and fridges. The 39-year-old grew up in his dad’s appliance shop, but he pursued a career in the film industry before turning back to the family business.
Tallarico’s cinematic eye makes his retail space at Dupont and Dovercourt worthy of a close-up. Hotsets Film, a studio that specializes in scenery for film and television productions, created a dramatic shoe sculpture from a Miele washing machine-and-dryer set. It stands next to another playful installation – an exploded Wolf oven dissected by Willinsky Design, with components suspended by invisible wire.
Playing off Dupont’s industrial character, DesignAgency installed room dividers built out of rebar and movable wooden boxes surfaced in raw maple. The setup creates framed views of the not-your-average appliances that fuel Tallarico’s passion, sourced from a select cast of manufacturers. Colourful props placed throughout include cheeky plates hand-painted by Jacqueline Poirier and parting gifts like Appliance Love soccer balls.
Shop here for: Kitchen and laundry appliances and accessories beautiful enough for Beverly Hills, with options for every budget. Higher-end models are serious time savers: GE Monogram’s Advantium oven ($3500) combines speed-cook, convection, microwave and warming capabilities and is capable of cooking a sponge cake in just 5 minutes. Miele’s pro dishwasher ($5700) can speed through a load in under half an hour.
Best bet: Urban Cultivator’s minibar-sized unit controls heating, lighting and moisture to let home chefs grow their own indoor herb gardens. Tallarico starts each morning off with a shot of fresh wheatgrass. He’s not alone: Martha Stewart is another fan of the futuristic appliance (from $2300).
Editor’s note: This feature story was published in fall 2015. For up-to-date info, refer to our Appliance Love store listing.
