Alex Kohut started his career in vintage clothing as a thrifting wunderkind. The 23-year-old, who runs The Vintage Saint shop on Albert Street, got into the game at a young age.

“(The Vintage Saint) itself has been around for four or five years, but I’ve been picking for eight,” Kohut says. “I got my first consignment at Ragpickers, and they gave me my first vintage job as well.”

Kohut credits his father for sparking his interest in all things vintage.

“My dad got me really into the Rat Pack,” he says. “He got me listening to early jazz and big band music and watching a lot of older movies. I just sort of moved on from there.”

Kohut just moved into his Wolseley home two months ago, but his rooms are already populated with second-hand artwork, thrifted instruments and other goodies that make his love of vintage abundantly clear.

“My roommate and I have a lot of the same tastes. We love woodsy things and rich textures.”

The home doubles as both living space and work space. The sun room functions as Kohut’s office and studio in the summer, but he’s currently in the process of moving into a new workspace for the winter.

“The room has two large closets and a smaller utility closet,” Kohut says. “Lots of room for clothes.”

1) Kitchen

“It’s a little bit bare bones in the kitchen right now, but we’re trying to figure out if we can get an island in here. The people who owned the building thought they were going to live in the house for the rest of their days. They blew out the wall, made the kitchen open concept, loaded it up with new appliances, then got divorced. So, here we are.”

2) Sunroom/summer office

“It’s not insulated yet, but in the summer I’ve got my workdesk here. It’s a little more green in here in the summertime. I’m a horrible procrastinator, and being in an open space with a lot of sun makes me want to focus on what’s in front of me. It keeps me energized.”

3) Religious art

“I really like religious art. It’s often very intense. One thing that interests me about theology is the culture that bred the artists. There’s such an importance, if they’re painting a religious figure, that it be done to the best possible standard, because you don’t want to piss off God or whatever. I’m trying to get more than just western pieces to try and get more Hindu art and Muslim art.”

4) Guitars

“(The white guitar) is an Eastwood guitar from the Airline series. I was really interested in Eastwood guitars. My old bandmate played one, and Jimi Hendrix’s first guitar was an Eastwood. I’ve collected a bunch of guitars over the years. One guy who owed $600 in rent left behind a guitar. Another old friend slept with my girlfriend, and he gave me his Epiphone SG as an apology. And the Jay Turser hollowbody was my first guitar.”

5) Waterfall showerhead

“This is my favourite thing in the house.”

Published in Volume 71, Number 10 of The Uniter (November 10, 2016)