In Their Words: Odessa Paloma Parker on Design & Storytelling

Toronto’s creative landscape is filled with voices that shape how we see, feel, and experience design. Few embody this spirit as fully as Odessa Paloma Parker - stylist, writer, and founder of Opaloma, a newsletter and platform spotlighting the art, culture, and independent businesses that make our city pulse with life. From co-founding Vintage Crawl Toronto to her editorial work and curatorial eye, Odessa has long championed the makers, entrepreneurs, and ideas that give Toronto its creative heartbeat.

We recently sat down in conversation with Odessa to hear in her words her inspirations, rituals, and the objects that make a space feel alive.

Tanya: You’ve built Opaloma into a go-to for local art, galleries, restaurants, and retail. What’s been inspiring you most in the city lately?

Odessa Paloma Parker: I’m noticing more programming happening at local galleries inviting the public to meet with artists and curators during their exhibitions, and also to attend panel discussions. As Toronto grows as a city, it’s so important to have this face time with creatives and catch up with folks in your community (and to see what they’re wearing!).

Tanya: From co-founding Vintage Crawl Toronto to your work with Opaloma, you’ve been a champion of local creative businesses. What keeps you excited about spotlighting others?

Odessa: I grew up in a time of a lot of independent retail existing in Toronto and take supporting entrepreneurs and artists every seriously. They’re the beating heart of our city, and I’ve been really lucky to learn from a few people who have forged their own path here, doing their own thing, and it has inspired my own career trajectory greatly. Exchanging ideas, sharing curiosity and passion – even commiserating and sharing the challenges we all go through working in Toronto – only makes us stronger as a liveable city.

Tanya: When you’re styling or curating, how do you want people to feel when they encounter a space or a piece?

Odessa: I love inviting a sense of unexpectedness into someone’s life through an aesthetic – maybe a piece makes them laugh, or maybe they learn about a maker or designer they didn’t know of before.

Tanya: What’s one object in your home you’ll never part with, and why?

Odessa: Our RS Barcelona Plec coffee table in green; it’s a joyful piece that unifies my love of colour and mixed materials with a timeless yet novel design. I think the marble element elevates our space without being fussy.

Tanya: What’s a daily ritual or habit that sparks your creativity?

Odessa: The first few things I do when I start my day are make a beverage (espresso or matcha based) and do a bit of what my husband describes as “plant inspecting” lol. I have quite a few plants and propagating cuttings, and looking at their health and progress gives me a sense of accomplishment before I’ve even done any work! And, if any plant needs to be tended to, I’ll do that as a way to focus on something nurturing before opening my laptop.

While I’m doing this, I like to put on music that has some grandness to it – for example, the opening track of Matthew Halsall’s album, Fletcher Moss Park, which starts with a lush piano intro. Or, something with an uplifting energy; a Glenn Gould recording of Bach, and Alfa Mist’s Variables, are two favourites in this category. It puts me in an optimistic and maybe even slightly cinematic frame of mind when embarking on my day.

Tanya: If you could give one piece of advice to someone curating their own space, what would it be?

Odessa: We fill our home with art, objects and furniture that make us smile. Maybe I have a fond memory of a music festival I was at when I look at a poster that I bought there, which we’ve got hanging in our office; or maybe it’s a uniquely glazed weed pot that I picked up at an antique shop during a road trip with my husband. The more you can connect your space to personal moments of happiness, the happier you’ll feel inhabiting it!

Odessa Paloma Parker's Picks

Now for the fun part: pick 4–6 Mararamiro pieces that inspire you, and tell us why they caught your eye — the detail, texture, or vibe that drew you in.

Odessa: I’m all for an understated piece (i.e. something with no decorative motifs) if it comes in a wonderful colour, and this mustard really calls to my inner 1970s freak.

Odessa: For as wavy gravy an individual as I am, Brutalist architecture and clean lines really captivate me; it’s all about balance! I think the stately nature of a chair like this would be a brilliant foil to other more unruly décor details like lush plant life.

Odessa: Chad is a fantastic creative who I am proud to call a colleague and friend. I love the storytelling behind this series, and I’m particularly in love with the little floral sprig rising up at the base!

I LOVE ceramics – and the more colourful and eye-catching, the better. And how stunning would this piece look on a table with contrast-colour candles?

Lighting round

Tanya: Morning coffee or tea?

Odessa: Espresso tonic, lately!

Tanya: Favourite colour to wear vs. favourite colour to live with?

Odessa: Pink to wear, green to live with.

Tanya: Current obsession: food, book, or show?

Odessa: We’ve been buying great produce from It’s Giving Farm at the Junction Farmers Market this summer – the mix of spicy greens is amazing!

Odessa’s perspective is a reminder that the most meaningful spaces are layered with personal stories, playful discoveries, and a deep respect for community. Her selections from Mararamiro reflect the same balance—pieces that invite joy, celebrate craft, and hold room for curiosity. We’re honoured to share her edit and her words, and we hope they spark new ways of thinking about the objects you live with every day. Because at the heart of it, design isn’t just about how a room looks—it’s about the stories it helps you tell.