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Wake Up Your Patio
Fran from Palmyra Design in Milton, Ontario, was in touch to let me know about a new shipment of patio umbrellas she has just received from Jaipur, India. Available in several styles -- from super-bold patchwork to quieter block-printed paisleys and florals -- these exuberant umbrellas are guaranteed to wake up your patio and add a groovy global vibe to your next outdoor gathering. You won't find these at Homesense.
Full post and comments...When All Else Fails, Active Surplus
Saturday, September 1, 2012 by Chris
I found this cute little Noguchi-style paper table lamp at a garage sale for $2 but when I got it home I realized it was missing one of its little ball feet. Now what? Whenever I'm faced with an impossible fix like this, there's only one place I go, Toronto's Active Surplus (347 Queen Street West, upstairs). Active is one of those head-scratching, retail mysteries. How does a store that sells bits and bobs worth 25¢ and 50¢ each make the rent on one of the city's priciest retail strips? I'm just glad they do because Active is a godsend when you're searching for that impossible little part. Clips, balls, rings, caps, plugs, dowels, wood blocks, plastic tubing, acrylic off-cuts, Active is like the world's largest junk box, go in and fish around and with a bit of luck you'll find what you need to MacGyver your project.
Full post and comments...Lamp Finials: The Motherlode
Wednesday, July 25, 2012 by Chris
A great lamp deserves a great finial. Trouble is, finding worthy ornaments is tough at the best of times. Commercial pickings are slim and usually overpriced and you can search antique markets for months before finding something suitable. Recently I ducked into Douglas Poole Antiques (358 Queen Street East, 416.368.1818) on a whim and there on a carousel towards the back of the shop was the motherlode, finial heaven! Priced between $15 - $35 for singles and pairs, Mr. Poole's finials are fabulous, light years from the junk you'll find at Lighting Unlimited.
Full post and comments...Of Bugs and Butterflies
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 by Chris
I was strangely drawn to this beetle, preserved forever in acrylic, when I saw it lurking on a shelf at the wildly eccentric Toronto vintage shop, The Chief Salvage (1493 Dundas Street West). Stocked with taxidermy, faded pennants, old photos, religious icons and a boatload of ephemera, The Chief summoned American designer Thomas O'Brien who has a special knack for composing vignettes incorporating everything from star charts to junk shop castoffs. Priced at $18, the beetle came home with me. It was one of those harbingers like a newly-learned word that suddenly starts appearing in everything you read. Soon, I began seeing beetles and butterflies in vintage shops far and wide.
Full post and comments...Spring Tulips
Saturday, April 7, 2012 by Chris
I've stumbled upon a couple of great tulip tables recently that I can't justify bringing home so I'm turning them over to you, dear readers. The black top piece is stunning, a 5/8" thick oval (25" at its widest, 18.5" at its narrowest) of the highest quality black marble with grey/gold veining and a hint of white. What I love is that it could easily serve as a coffee table in a tight spot; it's 18" high so taller than a standard cocktail perch but not as high as most side tables. And the dealer, Francis at Anthemion Gallery (197 King Street East, 416.368.6628) will let it go for just $200.
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Wednesday, May 22, 2013 by Chris
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