Buy local: Deborah Moss

A chat with installation artist and product designer Deborah Moss of Moss & Lam about her favourite east-end spots

For 28 years, Moss & Lam have crafted elegant larger-than-life mobiles and wildly inventive wall coverings for luxury department stores and top-notch hotels around the world. The studio has recently turned its attention with digital and handcrafted techniques toward home furnishings, producing these faceted polar bear tables/stools out of cement-based hydro stone. $3430 each, at Avenue Road, 415 Eastern Ave.

DL: What’s the best thing about summer in Toronto?
DM: All the patios! Sitting outside on a balmy night with friends.

DL: When the weather is gorgeous, how do you stay focused and productive?
DM: Amazing clients and projects keep the studio challenged and focused. Sometimes we just have to pinch ourselves as we feel so lucky that our work keeps us engaged. That being said, we have to be disciplined enough to say, “Let’s get out of here.”

DL: Where’s your go-to spot for a summer drink or just a good coffee?
DM: Ruby Eats (742 Queen St E), a charming little market and prepared food shop from designer Cherie Stinson and chef Lynn Crawford. They have the best homemade lemonade. For the best espresso, I head to Mercury Espresso Bar (915 Queen St E).

DL: Where is your favourite place to be in the neighbourhood on a Sunday morning?
DM: Not far from the Queen East strip, at Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Ave). The transformation that has taken place there is incredible. The garden and farmers market are the best in the city.

DL: What new addition to the neighbourhood are you most excited about?
DM: The development that is happening in the West Don Lands has a huge amount of potential for the Queen East neighbourhood. New mixed-use buildings and a significant amount of green space will go a long way in connecting two somewhat disjointed areas of the city.

DesignLines regrets the recent death of Moss & Lam co-founder and principal, Edward Lam.