“We’re aiming for the world’s biggest Hall & Oates collection,” Kyle Turner says as he points to a shelf with vinyl reserved solely for the duo. “Though we do have a ways to go.” Turner — along with girlfriend Storm Luu, old pal Rob Moseley and Tamara Salpeter rounding out the bunch — owns Of A Kind, a shiny new store on College Street hawking both vintage fashion and vinyl.

In general, the guys are responsible for the vinyl — which takes over the front of the shop —while the girls deal with the vintage in the back, but the borders aren’t strict, and there’s plenty of input coming from both sides. Salpeter has worked with Fresh Collective, while Luu recently won TIFF’s Kelly Style Challenge, which was judged by Jeanne Beker.

Housed on shelves built by Mosley and another mutual friend, the vinyl consists of vintage selections and new releases, with some of Turner’s current faves including Bibio,  Dan Deacon and Kensington regulars Promonium Jesters (which also happens to be Mosley’s band).

Vintage vinyl offerings include the likes of Herbie Hancock, some “hazy, ‘60s garage pop” from The Ventures and The Safaris, and, of course, Hall & Oates. Pricing ranges from about $10 to $27 (or more, for less common releases), with haggling possible, depending on what the purchase entails. Artwork displayed on the wall above the records is from local artist Jeff Blackburn, and features renditions of recording artists’ mug shots.

Both guys and gals can shop the clothing, all of which is priced very reasonably (“we’re not on Queen Street,” Turner stresses). The men’s section is commendable. Plenty of striped, checkered, plaid and denim shirts are to be found (from $25), alongside a selection of jeans (around $35) and more eye-catching pieces such as an ‘80s Olympic sweater from Lake Placid, complete with silver clasps (“I’m a sucker for clasps,” Turner says).

Meanwhile, in the women’s section, we found some woven leather belts ($5-$15), a cream lace shrug ($26) and a cummerbund dotted with beads and stones ($12). We loved both the coin earrings ($24) and the twisted asymmetrical vinyl earrings from jahyu ($54). With the store closing at 10 p.m. (8 p.m. on Sundays) — and the promise of parties to boot — it’s bound to become a late night haunt.

Of A Kind Vintage & Vinyl, 1037 College St., 647-344-1091

This week’s Interior Design Show is bound to rouse every design lover out of their January slumps. The largest contemporary design fair in Canada, this year’s show is drawing the likes of design greats Piero Lissoni and the inimitable Karim Rashid (who also happens to be DJing at the opening night party). We chatted with four innovative young exhibitors who have produced some exciting work of late: Alex Jowett of Contact Voyaging Co. and Atelier 688; Bettie Cott; Palette Industries’ Samuel Ho and Jason Wheeler of Wheeler’s Studio.

How did you get into design?

Alex Jowett: After travelling the world as a freelance photographer and writer for close to 12 years, I returned to Toronto to do an art show at The Spoke Club. After deciding to stay for a while, I fell into designing some lighting and soft furnishings at my studio Atelier 688. This later led to teaming with David Barclay to create Contact Voyaging Co.

Samuel Ho: The three of us [Samuel Ho, Ian Campana and Nathan Tremblay] studied together at the University of Alberta in the design program. After a few yearson our own, we ended up in Calgary and decided to start the collective there.

Jason Wheeler: I got into design at a very young age; I was invited to take part in an extended art program, which strongly influenced my direction in life. I started working on hot rods before transitioning into furniture design.

How does being Canadian influence your designs?

Alex Jowett: Well, I actually have more than one citizenship; so I would say my love of travel and the outdoors have strongly influenced my designs more than any one thing.

Bettie Cott: I grew up, like most Canadians, going camping and spending time outdoors, hiking, fishing and swimming. I gather a lot of inspiration from nature and have fond memories of campfires, landscapes and visiting my grandparents’ farm. I believe that many aspects of my childhood come up often during my design process and have a powerful visual effect in my work. 

Samuel Ho: As Canadians, we are heavily steeped in a rich melting pot of cultures we can borrow from. We also tend not to take ourselves too seriously — we sometimes like to translate that into our designs.

What is your design philosophy?

Alex Jowett: I recently read the book 'The Architecture of Happiness' by Alain de Botton, which basically states that one of the great causes of both happiness and misery is the quality of our environment: the kind of walls, chairs, buildings and streets we're surrounded by etc.  While this might be a bit simplistic, I do find it to be quite true; my philosophy is essentially that our environments can elevate our spirits on a day-to-day basis, so long as we are creating them to stimulate our personalities.

Samuel Ho: Most of Palette Industries’ design philosophy stems from emancipating theories, narratives and stories from substance-rich objects, breathing life into our designs beyond just form and function. We strive to construct unique situations that explore the intrinsic nature of own embedded narratives, personally and communally, creating a continuously evolving dialogue between the object, the individual and the environment. In other words, we like to tell stories through our creations.

Jason Wheeler: I like to design more on the industrial side of things, adding elements of modern design. I use color to bring attention to the piece and keep it playful. I always design with the thought of the piece being in my home, helping me stay true to my aesthetic.

What is your favourite material to work with and why?

Alex Jowett: I can't say I have a favourite material really.  My main interest is in contrasting materials and colours. [I like] taking old, sometimes discarded materials, ideas etc. and making something new and unexpected.

Bettie Cott: I mainly work with wood and metal, but also enjoy using textiles and other materials in my work. I like attempting to combine different materials in interesting ways. The opportunity that wood gives you to manipulate its properties is very intriguing and I love trying out various methods and techniques. It's incredible to watch a straight piece of wood wrap around a curved form after sitting in a steam box for a couple of hours. It really is a genuinely impressive material.

Samuel Ho: I think I speak for the group when I say any type of hardwood. From its raw form to being sanded and finished, the natural feel, smell and strength of it still affords so much about its origins.   

Jason Wheeler: I like to work with hard woods. I believe there is something rooted deep within us that draws us to the material. Working with it is really relaxing.