  Bonnie Gordon puts the finishing touches on one of her "pearl and diamond" cakes. (Photo: Michael Kohn) |
Call her Canada’s “ace of cakes.”
Bonnie Gordon’s wedding cakes are recommended by A-list bridal boutiques. Her stunning creations were included in Letitia Baldridge’s book Legendary Brides. And her edible sculptures stood in as the handiwork of Heather Locklear’s character in the 2005 movie The Perfect Man.
View the photo gallery of Bonnie Gordon's home.
Gordon inherited the creative gene. Her mother, Shirley Gordon, was was a well-known Canadian fashion designer. Her grandfather was a Montreal-based men’s clothing designer. With an education in art and art history, she spent 10 years working in museums in the U.S. and Canada.
She has brought that artistic sensibility to cake decorating, and now students come from as far as Brazil and China to attend her classes like Confectionary Arts, Sugarwork and Painting on Cakes.
The hottest trend in cakes right now, according to the expert? “Couture-influenced cakes that look like they are draped in fabrics and dazzling jewels,” Gordon says.
Gordon invited Star Spaces into her home.
Q: How would you describe your home in a few words?
A: Eclectic.
Q: Tell us about your home.
A: It is a 2,300-square-foot, three-bedroom single-family dwelling built in the ’20s. We purchased it in 1993 and renovated it five years ago. Now there are three rooms on the main floor; one room is a large, bright kitchen.
Q: What attracted you to this space?
A: Location! I have lived in apartments most of my life, so I was thrilled with the possibilities of living in a house with both front and back yards.
Q: Who shares your home?
A: My husband, Michael Kohn, our daughter and son. Our family pet is a very outgoing and friendly British budgie named Major Tom. He enjoys my homemade pancakes.
Q: What is your favourite room and why?
A: Without a doubt, the kitchen! We tore down three back rooms to create an airy space which includes a casual sitting area. The kitchen colours are whites, beiges and greens. The windows are south- and east-facing so there is always lots of light.
Q: How would you describe your decorating style?
A: As my husband and I are both visual people with very different design sensibilities, we always shop together to ensure we agree on home purchases. Michael’s style is clean and minimalist. I prefer antiques.
Our furniture is a combination of cherished pieces inherited from older family members combined with more contemporary joint purchases. My favourite pieces are the ones which carry loving childhood memories, such as the marble-top coffee table.
Q: What is your fondest memory in this house?
A: The backyard was an overgrown mess when we moved in. My most cherished memory is the wonderful summer I spent digging up and replanting the backyard.
Q: What’s the one item in this house you can’t live without?
A: I recently splurged and purchased a top-of-the-line king-size bed. I work long hours, often six days a week. I love being able to sink into my luxurious bed at the end of the day and disappear into a good book.
Q: Weekends at home, what are we most likely to find you doing?
A: Saturday is usually a work day, and I often spend Sunday running errands. If home, I’m usually working on my laptop.
Q: If your walls could talk, what would they say?
A: “It’s not chaos, it’s creative energy!”
View the photo gallery of Bonnie Gordon's home.
