Vintage charm and thrift-shop scores visual artist Meghan Paterson lets eclectic furniture “find” her.

Meghan Paterson is a visual artist who has shown in many group and solo shows around the city. Her stylized painted portraits of urban hipsters have featured most recently in DC Shoes and Vice magazine’s Last Rites exhibit. The show travelled from Vancouver to Toronto funeral homes last October. Paterson grew up on Gooch Island (“the daughter of an art instructor and a pirate”). In 2000, after private studies focusing extensively on the human figure, she moved to Vancouver. Paterson is also a member of Fracture Industries, a collective of artists (Graeme, Steve Coal, Syx, Lindsay Adams, and Chris Smith) that puts together the Cheaper Than a One Night Stand series of one-night art sales, where everything sells for $200 (www.fractureindustries.com). To view some of Paterson’s work visit www.myspace.com/meghanpaterson.

How do you describe your home style?

Totally eclectic. I have a lot of vintage stuff. Midcentury. I acquire tables. I got rid of a bunch, but I used to collect Arborite and chrome ones and I finally got one of those cocktail ones that is higher and round with stools. I feel like furniture finds me. I never go out thinking ”˜Okay, I need to buy a new chair.’ But tables just always turn up.

What influences your design sense?

I come from an architectural family. My grandfather is Fred Hollingsworth and my uncle is Russell Hollingsworth. My grandfather is known for a lot of residences on the North Shore, so I think I’ve just grown up around very designed homes.

Where’s your favourite place to cocoon?

My walk-in closet. I love pulling everything out of it and then putting it all back in. I like to go and be by myself in my closet.

Where do you entertain?

I like entertaining at a dining-room table and having everyone sit around with lots of wine and food. I like the social aspect of eating and drinking and everyone facing each other. Always when I have people over I push everything out of the way and get the table out into the middle of the room.

What’s your most extravagant purchase?

My most extravagant purchases would be artwork and art books. Barry McGee. And Marcel Dzama prints—he’s an artist from Winnipeg.

What’s your best budget find?

Everything else. I’m one of those people that instead of buying all the Pyrex bowls at once, I buy one here and there, each for 10 cents. I love thrift shopping. I don’t like it being found for me. I’ve invested a lot of time looking for stuff but never really spent a lot on furniture.

What’s your most sentimental piece?

My wooden drafting table that my dad bought for me when I was little and I still paint at now. I think I got it when I was nine.

What’s your drink?

Red wine. Ben Marco Malbec from Argentina, thanks to Quentin from Salt.

What’s on your bedside table?

My magazine addiction. It depends. If it’s new-magazine day, then I’ll have this huge stack.

What’s in your DVD player?

I just finished watching Big Love: Season One. It’s an HBO series about a polygamist family.

What’s in your CD player?

Ladyhawk, the Velvet Teen, and Peter Bjorn and John. It changes a lot.

What’s your favourite kitchen tool?

I don’t really know. I pretty much love my turquoise toaster, and I love my gas stove.

What’s your colour scheme?

Those vintage colours like avocado green, a bit of red, coral, turquoise—those old tin colours. If I could find appliances in those colours, that’d be cool. Some of my favourite artists, I like the colours they use. Margaret Kilgallen uses kind of muted greens and reds and coral, and I find myself very attracted to those colours.

What’s your proudest gardening achievement?

Currently nothing”¦ My window boxes? When I was 18 I had this amazing apartment in a converted bread factory and I had this amazing garden all in old sinks and tubs. I even grew tomatoes, lots of flowers.

A few of your favourite brands”¦

Coffeemaker?

Bialetti percolator

Sheets?

My sheets are from Bed on 4th

Dishes?

Russell diner dishes—they’re indestructible

Bath soap?

Honestly? I’m totally into Oil of Olay right now.

Candles?

I hate candles.