nvestigating Olam Interieur, I learned a new French word: Interieur. Do you know what it means? It means Interior. You already knew that? You're a genius. Did you know that Olam means, um, Olam? Damn. Luckily, Charles Abitbol (of Olam Vêtements) has better French than I do. He and friend Claude de Gouveia opened this large-yet-cozy home shop with an eye for quality and an airy ambiance.

We've been through this before, but you're growing up and it's time to replace your milk crates. You can do this with generic-but-clean Scandinavian furniture or, if you have the bank for it, you can create a French-inspired, airy, wine-consumption-inducing ambiance with stylized pieces. You know where to go for the former, but for the latter, you'll need to make the trip to Saint-Laurent.

Like a swank cafe that you can dissect and take home with you, OI has welcoming pieces of the well-appointed ilk. Berets and horizontal stripes are not required, but you should stock up on post-shopping wine and baguettes. -S.T.

5333 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montreal, QC
514-678-0206