Welcome to Portobello Home

Portobello Home is a design destination store for modern furniture and goods for the home. Thunder Bay is a contemporary urban city, with wilderness and recreation at its doorstep, so our philosophy is to embrace an organic element in our modern aesthetic. The shop opened a small storefront in 2012, but has since grown and continues to grow, sourcing from classics to Scandinavian to rustic to modern and contemporary. We carefully curate our shop to make your shopping experience a memorable one. Our vision is open minded and advocates a unique and personal vision for spaces.

Laura Ponka – Founder/Creative Director

Laura, the founder and owner, of Portobello Home, has incorporated design into her life for as long as she can remember. As a child, she spent her free time drawing homes and floor plans, pouring over design books and magazines and clipping out favourites for portfolios and vision boards. Today, design is central to her life. She possesses a skilled eye for design and scale, and unwavering passion for interiors, and a strong core belief that every space, big or small, modest or otherwise, can be a dream space. With a blended family of five children, a Shitzu, three Newfoundlands and a cat, a Victorian house, a Lake Superior cottage and family sailing charter business, life is full and always moving. Exposure to world design through her love of travel is evident in her designs and shop.

If you would like to connect with Laura email laura@portobellohome.com

Thea Garbachewski – Interior Decorator

Thea’s appreciation and keen eye for design has led her to Portobello Home, where she has quickly become an important member of the team. Raised in Thunder Bay by two artists, art and design have always been a prominent part of her life. As a child, she could often be found designing floor plans, planning and sketching her dream home, and staying up late arranging and rearranging the furniture in her room.  Thea’s love of design fuels her passion to help others create a beautiful and functional space uniquely designed for life in Northwestern Ontario. When she’s not browsing Pinterest for the latest design trends, you will find her sunbathing at camp with her husband and their two dogs Otis and Jukka.

If you would like to connect with Thea email thea@portobellohome.com

Kelsey Letowski – Store Manager/Associate

Kelsey has a passion for furniture and design and in particular, appreciates modern clean lines, especially black and white interiors. In her spare time you can find her delving into design posts and blogs, caring for her plant collection, cooking a homemade meal, rearranging her space, or taking long walks around Boulevard Lake. Her partner is a house builder, who she assists with on design, but she has an obsession with tiny houses which causes some debate! Kelsey truly values customer care, making connections and helping customers with their design dilemmas.

If you would like to connect with Kelsey email kelsey@portobellohome.com