styleNorth

Previously, I’ve written about some of our favorite Toronto fabric stores — MacFab, Designer Fabrics and Crazy Joe’s — all of which have good selection at decent prices. But when Mike and I need fabric for a job, we typically start our search a little lower on the price ladder; then if we strike out, we bump up the hunt and pay retail.

Our first stop is usually Barrymore’s where they have remainder bins in the giant upholstery workshop behind the showroom. The public is welcome to pick through the leftover rolls which are sold at $30 for a small roll (usually two to three yards) and $40 for a large roll (four or more yards). And make no mistake, these are some fine leftovers.

Mike is presently putting the finishing touches on a reupholstery job for my mother (“Hi Mom!”) who wanted her small barrel-back chair freshened up with something neutral, preferably light beige or cream. At Barrymore’s we hit the jackpot with a seven-yard end of upholstery weight, cream herringbone by Kravet. We paid $40 for the roll which originally retailed for $90 a yard — that’s a $630 value!

We might have come up empty at Barrymore’s in which case our next stop would have been…

Of Things Past is a massive furniture consignment store in north Toronto jammed with ’80s cast-offs and the occasional great piece. But they also sell fabric remnants priced per yard and grouped by colourway — I found a beautiful silk moire there for $10 per yard, about half what it would have cost at a regular retail store. The amount of yardage left on each roll varies but some of them are very fat, indeed. And you’ll get a wider selection of weights than at Barrymore’s where it all tends to be upholstery grade.

And finally, I recently discovered Winter Beach Modern, a web-based, American reseller of fabric remnants from companies like Knoll, Herman Miller, Carnegie, Maharam, and others. Winter Beach’s focus is on retro, mid-century and modern patterns and they’ll ship up to four samples absolutely free, including to Canada. Fabric is inspected, re-wrapped and shipped on the bolt, typically priced by the bolt rather than by the yard. The company also sells extra-cheap small lots of one-and-a-half to three yards.

Here’s a look at the chair Mike’s doing for my Mom. A very ambitious project for just his second attempt and he’s understandably proud of it — just some finishing touches yet to be done.

Be Sociable, Share!

•