who weren’t indoctrinated by a specific way of doing things. My aesthetics and my manufacturing process – like my thought pattern – are outside the realm of tradition. I just don’t do things the way people normally do in this industry. I need people who are willing to do something different without worrying about the consequences.” When Pecota shared with me that his 27-year-old son runs the Pekota Shop on Pacific Avenue in Toronto’s fur- niture and design savvy neighbourhood, The Junction, it was clear to me that Pecota truly believes in family. It is his innate loyalty and pride that put the ‘k’ in Pekota. Pecota explains. “My father of Dalmatian descent, was born in a town close to Zadar, Croatia (former Yugoslavia). His last name was Pekota with a ‘k’ but there is no ‘k’ in their alphabet so it was changed to a “c.” He emigrated to Canada in the early 1950s, where he was registered as Pecota with a ‘c’ and it stuck. When it came to naming my design studio I felt that it was a meaningful way of honouring my family and our past.” The genuine touch is seldom lost on scrupulous shoppers. Pekota’s retail customers are often, new homeowners and professionals,” he explains. “They’re moving homes and
they’re looking for something a little more aesthetical- ly pleasing and built to last. This fits our philosophy of creating products with care that stand the test of time. “What’s great about Pekota is that it allows that artistic part of me that always wants to escape and collaborate to thrive.” Pekota designs are also becoming a presence in the hos- pitality and commercial markets. “Year after year, our sales prove that businesses really love the look that we create; it is unique and when it comes to restaurants, for instance, they want to differentiate themselves from the restaurant down the street. What’s proven to be an advantage to me is that I’m not so big that my product is fresh. If a restau- rant in Austin is using our Mark 1 chairs, they’re the only one in town. It’s now a unique ambiance. Pekota furniture is customizable; and it is very easy for us to tweak designs, if a client wants chairs with branding, no problem. We can do signage in interesting and unique ways and do it quickly. It brings something special.”
For Pecota, the “something special” is the future of not only industrial design, but of retail itself. The spread of
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