A Gastown go-to for on trend furnishings and accessories, Parliament Interiors has been upping the city’s style since 2009. The boutique is owned and operated by three local creatives: Colette Soros (Minister of Environment), Craig Parkes (Minister of Interior) and Tina Lee (Minister of Finance); the ‘Ministers’ stay in touch with their market and clientele by working in-shop themselves. This hands-on approach is what initially drew them to the location – Gastown offers a highly creative, independent-business oriented vibe that the trio identified with.
The overall decor philosophy of Parliament is to bring functional, stylish options to shoppers without branching into overly high price points. A mix of contemporary and mid-century-modern inspiration drive the designs offered in store, with a number of pieces available for custom order such as their selection of stellar sofas and bed frames.
According to Colette, Parliament is best known within the city for being “an independent, local furniture store with our pulse on what our market wants. Being local allows us to quickly forecast what our market needs.”
A cute and quirky side note to the company, says Soros, are the many owl-related items the store sells (FYI, a group of owls is called a “parliament”).
The shop caters to a broad clientele base, encompassing everyone from young new homeowners, to empty-nesters who have downsized to neighbourhoods like Coal Harbour, False Creek or the West End. Parliament also sees a lot of year-round tourist business, as much of the area does, and has built strong working relationships with interior designers shopping for clients.
Staying true to their original outlook, Parliament strives to maintain and support the hyper-local retail approach. The Ministers feel that it is an important aspect of their business to showcase the amazing art scene Vancouver offers. They adorn their wall space within the store with pieces featuring local artistic talent that they have come to know and respect, as well as house an in-shop shop for local plant design team, Kermodi.
• 15 Water St. | 604-689-0800 | ParliamentInteriors.com
