Cheap Thrills: Moveline Liquidations

There’s nothing like a warehouse full of ultra-cheap furnishings to get a bargain hunter’s pulse racing. I am not exaggerating when I say that Mike and I were like a couple of kids on Christmas morning when we checked out Moveline Liquidations in Oakville, Ontario (about 40 minutes west of Toronto). A liquidator of hotel furnishings, Moveline is a mammoth warehouse filled with row upon row of chairs, desks, beds, headboards, TVs, credenzas, lamps, armoires and draperies.

The coffee tables above once resided in a Westin Hotel somewhere but now they’re priced at $30 each waiting for some lucky soul to take them home. The Queen Anne armchairs, below, might not win any beauty contests but for $135 each you could afford to reupholster one in the fabric of your choice and still come out ahead of the game. Heck, take two.

There are essentially two Movelines, the fancier showroom up front with its loosely staged vignettes and higher-end goods, and the dusty warehouse out back where the real bargains are stacked.

Sarah Richardson shopped here on the Design Inc. episode (HGTV) where she was furnishing her new office. And if Moveline is good enough for Sarah, it’s good enough for me. The ivory ceramic lamps with crackle finish, above, are $20 each; the solid oak side tables (below right) with the Chippendale-style fretwork are $40 apiece. The double-wing headboards, below left ($75 each), may not look like much now but with a staple gun and a few yards of fabric you could transform your bedroom!

In Moveline’s showroom, below, you’ll find even better quality goods with somewhat higher prices. The hardwood tub chair, lower left, is brand new priced at $400 each or $750 for a pair; the Birch and chrome bench with drawers (below centre) is $275 (two available) and the oak-frame, upholstered occasional chair, below right, is $195, sold in pairs only. If you’re decorating and you don’t have something specific in mind, start your shopping at Moveline!