Meet Deborah Ross – Chief Curator and Owner

About:

Simply Beautiful began in 2016 as a small independent store located on an off-the-beaten-path on Dundas St. W in the Junction area of Toronto.

As with all small businesses, we continued to pivot the business to best serve our customers during the depths of COVID and launched our website.  We quickly realized our customers where thrilled to have the combination of shopping on-line as well.  Thanks to the support of our small community we were able to keep our doors open. We made the difficult decision to close the doors of our bricks & mortar location at the end of 2022. 

However, as they say 'when life hands you lemons make lemonade' and that is exactly what we have done. Joining forces with my fellow small business Norm & Lenore hand-made chocolate shop we have launched our first POP Up location as a way to serve our community and have a physical presence still in the Junction area of the city.  Trent at Norm & Lenore is the amazing owner and co-collaborator behind this unique idea to combine gifting with unique hand made chocolate and products sourced through our Simply Beautiful business. This combination makes it the perfect place to shop for all your gifting needs.

We have also continue to support the on-line community as a way to be able to offer up Simply Beautiful products to a wider audience.

Everyone and everything has a story

The values I have set out for Simply Beautiful are reflected in the items that get placed on the website and on the shelves at our POP Up location.  My motto is truly 'Life is better when you surround yourself with meaningful things that provide comfort, pleasure, and beauty.'

I value authenticity and intention – every product has a story, whether it be the person behind a beautifully made item; the story of how it came into being; and the story of where and why it was created. Storytelling is a key component that gives meaning and purpose to items on a shelf and on a website - they become much more than they appear to be.

I particularly focus on Canadian-made products to celebrate the many rich and vibrant small businesses and makers that are an important part of this country. I buy with intention and seek out partnerships with producers who support a special cause or focus that brings positivity and hope into the world.