RSS

Archive | Cheap Thrills RSS feed for this section

Treasure Hunting in Cobourg, Ontario

Friday, January 13, 2012 by Chris

7 Comments

Here's a post that's been in the can for months. Back in September when I scouted Waddington's new Cobourg outpost, I went on a little treasure hunt along tiny Covert Street, which I discovered thanks to my friend Susan Forint and her SAF Affect blog. Then, before I got a chance to post my thrifty finds, I learned that I had overlooked Cobourg's biggest claim to vintage fame, the massive Legacy salvage yard. So back I went with my Ajax friends Denise and Larry who kindly provided the transport.

Full post and comments...

Bev Hisey Studio Sale This Weekend

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 by Chris

2 Comments

With a storefront facing Trinity Bellwoods Park not far from Ossington Avenue, Toronto textile designer Bev Hisey doesn't need to do the One of a Kind Show (on now until December 4 at Direct Energy Centre), she just has to throw open her door. And that's exactly what she's doing this weekend with her annual Studio Sale (Saturday 11 am - 6 pm and Sunday 12 - 5 pm). Featuring cut rate prices on some of her most popular designs Bev all but promises you won't walk away empty handed. I'll be there for sure, hopefully ahead of you in line for the best stuff. Foundstyle is teaming up with Bev to do a mini pop-up store of vintage treasures just to keep things extra interesting.

Full post and comments...

Persian Carpet Closeout Sales

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 by Chris

3 Comments

I typically buy rugs at auction because that's where the best values are to be found albeit with limited selection in terms of size, style, colour, etc. But since I need a rug right now for a client job, I've been doing a lot of carpet shopping lately and I've come across two Persian carpet closeout sales in Toronto, on now until the end of December. That's Ali Keshvari, pictured, proprietor of Kensington Carpets (193 Baldwin St., 416.260.1144) working hard for a sale as he flips and flips and flips carpets in search of just the right design. Ali is closing his Toronto location and consolidating business in Calgary where he has another store and that means sale prices from 50 - 80 per cent off regular retail from now until the end of the year. It was Ali who sold me the carpet I installed in my happy client's home on Sunday (more on that soon).

Full post and comments...

Base Desires

Saturday, October 29, 2011 by Chris

4 Comments

When it comes to vintage furniture I have three weaknesses, chairs, lamps and coffee tables. There is almost never a time I don't have at least two coffee tables in my possession, as I do at the moment. So obviously I have no way to justify the purchase of this fab find at Toronto's Upside Dive (269 Queen Street East). The table is a steal at $250 and it would be steel by the time I was finished with it, I'd strip that brass plate in a jiffy and it would chrome for the ages. The piece is a copy of a design by Roger Sprunger for Dunbar that I blogged about last year. The Dunbar original has a bolt joining each gently turned leg, whereas the Upside table are straight bends attached with a solid solder. Shown right side up, above, the table comes with a good quality 40" diameter smoked glass top. But my preference with this design is always to see it upside down, a W rather than an M.

Full post and comments...

Aberfoyle 2: The Best of the Rest

Friday, October 14, 2011 by Chris

8 Comments

This is the smiling face of my friend Ingrid with her one and only purchase from our trip to the Aberfoyle Antiques Market last Sunday. Ingrid has a cream and gilt dressing table that was in desperate need of a mirror and this piece is practically a perfect match. The seller wanted $45 for it but Ingrid drives a hard bargain -- they settled for $35. So what else did we see at Aberfoyle? It wasn't a great week for furniture but we scoped some pretty terrific odds and ends . . .

Full post and comments...
« Previous Entries