Fran Miller’s Modern & Minimal Home

Images by Justin Ming Yong

This week we’re in Toronto with Fran Miller, founder of eponymous skincare line, F. Miller —  which remarkably, now in its 10th year, still operates in part from her walkout basement. Her home, shared with partner Jackie & dog Bagel in the Polish neighbourhood of Roncesvalles is at once both uncomplicated and deeply considered. A complete renovation saw the original house, built in 1908, stripped back to the studs, making way for natural light and contemporary finishes that echo Fran’s ‘less is more’ touch. Furniture and objects are an experiment in scale, many of which are rare antiques or handmade, like the miniature portrait of Bagel, painted by Fran’s father. Cozied up in a cashmere robe, Fran reflects on the early days of her business, and the importance of a home that functions for both work and life.

On Fran's home in downtown Toronto… 

“I live in a semi-detached brick house built in 1908, located in Toronto's Polish neighbourhood, Roncesvalles. My partner Jackie, our dog Bagel, and I moved in seven years ago after a full renovation, as little had been updated since the 1950s. We stripped it back to the studs, building out an F. Miller studio in the walkout basement and opening up the main floor to allow for maximum light in the long and narrow space that’s quite typical for downtown Toronto homes. 

We spend so much of our time here, so creating and maintaining a cozy space that functions beautifully for both work and living was very important

“Design-wise, modern and minimal felt most appropriate as a base for our furniture and objects, many of which are, in contrast, antique, handmade or slightly unusual. We spend so much of our time here, so creating and maintaining a cozy space that functions beautifully for both work and living was very important.”

Fran & Jackie's bed is dressed in a combination of our Dove Grey & Grey + White Stripe 100% Linen.

On the bedroom… 

“Our bedroom is intentionally pared-back and comfortable, anchored by a king-sized bed—a must, since Bagel tends to take up most of the space. A wall of built-in closets provides plenty of storage while keeping things organized and doubles as a surface to project movies on at night. We added a plywood accent wall behind the bed to introduce some warmth to the white walls, a texture that feels natural without overwhelming the space. Larger windows, swapped for the originals, bring in lots of morning light and when fully open, creating an indoor/outdoor feel that’s lovely to sleep in. I love our USM Haller credenza, which seamlessly holds our spare towels and bedding. My favourite thing in the room is the tiny portrait of Bagel that my dad painted that hangs by the window.”

On Fran’s bedside table… 

“The bedside table contains the essentials — an F. Miller Lip Balm, a dish for jewelry, glasses, a scrunchie, and a book. We have Iko Iko silk cord covers throughout the house, another beautiful essential to conceal our phone charger and bedside lamp cords. ”

On objects of significance… 

“It’s hard to choose favourites — we have a tendency to accumulate so we try our best to only bring in pieces that feel unique or intentional. Jackie and I each painted canvases a few years ago, they hang side by side in our dining area. I love our large white Gaetano Pesce vase. The rocks we collected at Chinati Foundation in Marfa. The reproduction Judd and Enzo Mari chairs that Jackie made. So many of our objects have been rare antique finds or constructed ourselves, those are the pieces that naturally feel most special to me.”

On the inception of F. Miller Skincare... 

“I began in the fashion industry and moved into the world of beauty about 12 years ago after my own skin struggles led me down a more holistic path to personal care. I didn’t want to compromise when it came to effective formulas, beautiful packaging, and environmental and social responsibility, and no other clean brands really checked those boxes for me so I ventured out to create my own. 

I didn’t want to compromise when it came to effective formulas, beautiful packaging, and environmental and social responsibility, and no other clean brands really checked those boxes for me so I ventured out to create my own.

“I’ve always tried to take an individual, mindful approach to the beauty space and I think that’s what our community has really resonated with over the last 10 years, especially now in a highly saturated market.”

On what inspires… 

“I'm currently inspired by the seasonal change into Fall, and cooking cozy new recipes. Spending hours at the reference library and art galleries. Our bi-annual rewatch of Felicity. Travel is always most inspiring to me, stepping outside of my day-to-day as often as possible, even if it’s just a short road trip or a drive to a less-frequented neighbourhood.” 

There’s a weekly farmer’s market where we stock up on seasonal produce and the waterfront is just south of us and always nice for a summer beach break and bike ride.

On favourite local haunts…

“We’re a 10min walk to High Park, so we try to start slower mornings and weekends there, walking the beautiful wooded trails with Bagel. There’s a weekly farmer’s market where we stock up on seasonal produce and the waterfront is just south of us and always nice for a summer beach break and bike ride. No trip to our area would be complete without a stop at Cafe Polonez, for delicious homemade Polish comfort food.”

Fran wears our 100% Cashmere robe in Oat. 

On a typical day… 

“A typical day starts with the snooze button, plenty of coffee and a morning walk. Then it varies depending on the agenda — either working in the studio, sitting on calls, or running around the city. I aim to wind work down around 5 or 6pm, do a quick workout if I wasn’t able to squeeze it in earlier, then figure out what to cook for dinner.” 

On evening rituals… 

“I love taking a post-dinner stroll around the neighbourhood. The vibrant leaves and crisp Fall air are beautiful right now. In the summer, it’s for a mint chocolate chip scoop at the nearby ice cream shop. Then we like to wind down with a drink or herbal tea and chocolate, usually while watching a show or movie on the couch. I’ll do my evening skincare routine, then get into bed and do some facial massage.”

On what's next... 

“We have some new product launches in the pipeline for next year, excited to plan the rollouts of those. This year has been quite busy and hectic so I’m looking forward to closing it out on a more restful note which hopefully includes a vacation!”