You may already know that Amy Shio (née Patel) left a career in finance to pursue a life of styling and ‘gramming as @lesbest. But less seen on the ‘gram is her Little Italy, Toronto apartment, her boisterous paintings, and her passion for cooking and hosting.

Shio’s home has a similarly irreverent personal style and her take on hosting and decor is no less opinionated than her outfits of the day. We asked Shio for her take on matters of style at home.

No room is off limits for your personal style.

Our kitchen is probably the room that best reflects my personality. I’m really into cooking and the kitchen isn’t just where food or cocktails are made — it’s where conversations are had when friends and family come over, so it’s filled with art and the things we love.

Invest in the things you take pride in.

That’s cooking for me, so, I’m really into my cast iron cookware, my Staub. I like the way they look on top of the range and they’re just really enjoyable to use.

Be mindful about new purchases.

Most of the things here came from the previous homes we’ve lived in and we think carefully about bringing new items in, be it a small purchase or an expensive one. We’re always alsking: is there longevity in this, or is it just a placeholder for a few years? My partner and I would prefer to have pieces we can pass on.

Your home should bend to your life — not the other way around.

My partner and I didn’t really use our TV room, so we’re putting a Pilates reformer in it. We’d previously been working out at the foot of the bed — and we have three floors! So, this move is going to make our space just a little more “us.”

Control the mood with your music.

We would start the night with classics, like some Louis Armstrong kind of vibe that everyone knows the tune to. And then it turns into more of a hip-hop vibe. And for the people that ended up staying right until the end, they get a bit of a reggae situation. Love that. Listen to Amy’s dinner party playlist here.

Two signature cocktails and two signature mocktails is right.

I’m obsessed with making kefir water and kombucha water cocktails, and sparkling water with tinctures. My favourite is kefir water, which, unlike Kombucha which has sugar and caffeine, is sugarless and caffeine-free, and it’s incredible for your gut. I’d do it on the rocks with a couple of dashes of a flower essence. Basically it does the same thing a cocktail would, without the alcohol! For signature cocktails, we’d do something up my alley and something up my husband’s alley. Mine would be mezcal-based, his, bourbon.

Dinner with friends at home: simple food or takeout.

I like to order from some place nice and nearby, like Patois, which is Chinese Jamaican, or, I’d made a really beautiful cheese platter on an extremely large cheese charcuterie board with all the things! I always add something special like homemade candied curried pecans. You can do those as takeaways for your guests, too. If it’s summer, I do something like fresh figs and edible flowers, local honey, and beautiful locally made spreads — I love sharing those things that are a little bit more unique or a little bit unusual.