Shiny look at The Black Box Boutique

[attach]6637[/attach]Lilla Balint hopes customers feel like they’re entering a jewellery box when they walk into The Black Box Boutique.

“I wanted it to feel bright and shiny so the mirrors are really great and they reflect light and the chandelier in the middle,” Balint says at her newly shop on Yorkville Avenue near Hazelton Avenue. “Then I had this lovely brick wall already here as part of the space so I really wanted to utilize it.”

The accessories, jewellery and watch store, which includes a selection for men, offers 50 percent Canadian lines, including her own collection. The other half is sourced around the world from France, Italy, Thailand, India, Israel, Turkey and beyond.

“I really wanted to carry lines that are very unique and different, things that you wouldn’t see in normal jewellery stores or boutiques around the city,” she says. “At the same time I wanted lines that are very different from each another so one could be very glamourous and shiny and another line could be more subdued and earthy, where as another one is more sculptural.”

Balint, who holds a degree in fashion design, was working as a marketing coordinator for a bead wholesaler when she had the opportunity to work for herself.

“I thought what’s a better time to pursue my dreams then now when I’m still young?” she says. “I’ve always been making jewelry, making accessories and I thought this is what I want to do, this is what I want to sell and this is what I want to be a part of.”

The Black Box Boutique, which features brands like Toywatch, Tokyobay, Noir, Divana, Vita Fede and Made with Love, holds events like mimosa Saturdays, where they give out free non-alcoholic mimosas, collaborations with other stores and are hoping to host a charity event like an accessories swap in December.

“I want to keep hosting events, doing things with the community and really make the store part of the community,” she says.

Besides being her own boss, the job also has many other perks, she says.

“I’m surrounded by beautiful things,” she says. “Beautiful things that make people feel good about themselves and maybe give them a little extra step in their walk.”