Tag Archive | "Vintage"
European Flare on Dundas West
Further to Thursday's post about Old Fashioned Restoration, proprietor Emanuel Calleja isn't just a master furniture restorer, he's also a dealer with a great eye who does the bulk of his picking on annual European buying trips. The cost of trans-Atlantic shipping means this is no bargain basement, but if you're in the market for high-quality vintage and antique pieces, 3068 Dundas Street West should be on your shopping itinerary. Although Calleja has a number of very fine antiques — his spectacular German marquetry bedroom set was featured on the Antiques Roadshow — the dealer has a particular taste for early 20th century furnishings and lighting, especially art deco.
Full post and comments...Turning to a Pro For Help
Thursday, December 1, 2011
StyleNorth reader Liza wrote to me seeking some help finding a well-priced coffee table (up to $250). Liza lives in North Bay, Ontario, where the Craigslist pickings are slim to non-existent so after discussing size and style, I pulled scads of Toronto-area options for her to consider. Liza found the winner herself, above, but there was a caveat (or two, as it turned out). There were a couple of pronounced, white watermarks on the surface that I was pretty sure I could tackle and turn into a good blog post (this one!).
Full post and comments...Cocktail With a Twist
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
TV's Mad Men is a cultural phenomenon that has inspired a new generation of hipsters to jump on the cocktail bandwagon and Toronto retailer Kristen Voisey is capitalizing on the craze. Last spring, Voisey opened BYOB (972 Queen Street West, 1.877.989.8980), a shop specializing in retro glassware, bar accessories and a range of ultra-cool custom bar cabinets like the beauty that folds down from the wall when the clock strikes party time ($789). And it's not all retro fun at BYOB; Voisey stocks a wide range of contemporary accessories like Whiskey Stones, cocktail shakers and the animal head shot glasses and bottle stoppers, below. If bar culture is your thing, BYOB is your home away from home.
Full post and comments...Base Desires
Saturday, October 29, 2011
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...Begged, Borrowed and Staged
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
When home stager Dennis Battler showed me photos of his most recent project, a small semi in Toronto's Riverside neighbourhood, I was instantly struck by how much personality he had injected into the spaces. His blend of vintage furnishings from different eras mixed with industrial and rustic pieces revealed a very definite point of view that runs counter to everything you see on TV staging shows where the mantra is always, "neutralize, depersonalize and de-clutter." The house had been neglected and fallen into disrepair but Dennis and the real estate agent rallied friends and neighbours who pitched in to strip and clean the property. Furniture was then borrowed or purchased for as little as possible on Craigslist — the set of dining chairs were sourced for just $50 — and thrift stores. Dennis blended the wall colour himself from paint store mis-tints.
Full post and comments...
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Saturday, December 3, 2011
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