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608 Markham Street, Toronto
416.534.3904, Tuesday – Sunday 12 – 6 pm

I love meeting people who are passionate about the decorative arts and Holly Gnaedinger definitely fits the bill. A dedicated collector of ceramics and glassware, Holly (pictured) turned her passion into a profession a few years ago when she teamed up with fellow collector Marie Lyons-Cooper to open Twice Found.

The women took over a small Mirvish Village shop, formerly Thomas Keeling’s Plantation Antiques: in fact, there’s still a cabinet loaded with some of Keeling’s ivory, shell and bone curiosities. Mostly, though, the store specializes in “vintage modern” glass, tableware and furnishings, with serious detours into Asian arts and jewellery. Eclectic? Definitely. Colourful? Indubitably.

The inventory may be all over the map but the prices are consistently fair. The deep purple glassware has somehow survived from the 1880s (large plate $185, large bowl $78, small bowl $38 and small plates $40), the cute, lotus fruit nappies are $48 for the set and the quality glass vases are priced around $70.

Collectors of Fiestaware and Russel Wright tableware will find plenty to coo over. The classic Wright pieces, above, range in price from $15 for the creamers to $20 for the plates and lug soup bowls; the casserole dish is $46 and the salt and pepper sets are fetching $40.

“I had an American collector in recently,” says Holly, “and he snapped up a bunch of things. He said prices for these kinds of collectibles is much higher in the U.S.”

Holly’s particular interest is in Canadian glass and ceramics and she yacks my ear off (in a good way) about Sial earthenware from Quebec and Glo Hill serving pieces, from Montreal, above. The polished, covered dish, above left, is $40, the canapé tray is $36 and a beautiful carving set is just $46.

On the Asian side of the equation are the ceramic foo dogs, below, that look more friendly than fierce ($220) and a mounted stone bust of Buddha for $60. If you’re styling a room and need a hit of colour or just the right accent piece, definitely put Twice Found on your shopping list.