Eclectic New Art and Design Store Opens in Yaletown

Suquet Interiors reinvigorates a storied family brand with rustic-cool furniture and bold modern art.

Though Suquet Interiors may have just opened its doors last week, the name should be a familiar one to long-time Vancouverites. In the ’80s, a couple from Spain—Ramon Masana and Georgina Tapia, both architects—rescued a series of 18th century building facades from a post-earthquake Mexico. Under the name “Suquet,” the two started making casts of the designs for Vancouver clients (they’re responsible for the dramatic entryway to South Granville’s Boboli shop), and collecting and dealing other furniture and treasures they discovered on their travels.

Ramon Masana Jr. revitalized the the family business with his new partner (and mentor) Rick Bohonis, the co-founder of Urban Barn.

After Ramon passed away in 2009, Georgina shuttered the company. But now their son, Ramon Masana Tapia, is revitalizing the family business thanks to a chance introduction to the co-founder of Urban Barn, Rick Bohonis. “I thought I was just going to mentor, but things have gotten a little out of hand,” laughs Bohonis, now partner to the young Tapia.

The new Suquet reaches beyond mantles and casts, featuring furniture and personal accessories alongside locally sourced modern art, but the ethos of exploration and discovery remains. Tapia and Bohonis can’t even describe the sensibility of the shop, as they expect their own passion for discovery to shift and morph over time. “It’s a moving target,” says Bohonis of the eclectic mix of high-end staples and affordable accessories in their arsenal.

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You’ll find sunglasses sourced from Portland, leather camp-style chairs from Houston, and rustic mantlepieces cast from those original salvaged-in-Mexico designs (Mom’s still involved!) alongside sleek modern bedframes and made-in-Vancouver coffee tables. “We can do anything we want,” adds Bohonis, “and we will.”

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