Window Shopping Never Hurt Anyone

I never used to be interested in antiques. In fact, when I was young I was particularly keen on having things as clean and new as possible (that sounds much more snobbish than it should).

I remember admiring a friend's home who had all IKEA furniture, and thinking "meh" to the home of a family that collected antiques. I once suggested to my Mom that we use our Club Z points to buy a new blender, simply because it looked newer. And food; that's where I get particularly stingy. There's a 90% chance I won't drink milk from your house. Don't take it personally.

As I've grown up, and particularly since I decided I was interested in this field, I've begun appreciating the new with the old. The modern lamp on an antique table. A Louis chair (not the ghost kind) in a simple bedroom. A new bag of milk in a vintage container. There's charm, character and history in antiques that cannot be found in your run-of-the-mill IKEA catalog. So, I began browsing the St. Lawrence Market and now shop on the internet for something unique, too. Take a look at my latest favourite finds...

From English Country Antiques








From Treillage Ltd

Window Shopping: FILTER

Very cool little store in Toronto that you should visit if you're nearby the St. Lawrence Market! FILTER is a vintage furniture store with unique pieces from the 20th century that are in excellent condition. I love seeing what's new periodically!



They have a great assortment of pieces, from desks (like the most incredible polished mahogany desk...too bad it was sold) to chairs, to old signs and children's furniture. If you're not a DIY-er and want well-kept furniture that doesn't require sanding, repainting or finding a fourth leg, you'll love FILTER. Granted, the prices reflect the good condition, but on these industrial vintage pieces, I think it's worth it!

FILTER
75 Jarvis Street

Hidden Treasures

What started out rather serendipitously has become a refreshing way to spend a Sunday morning.

I was curious to find a great antique store so that I could take an old piece of furniture and turn it into something unique on my own. Most of what I found online were small shops in Toronto, so on a rainy Sunday morning (typical this summer), I went out for a quick browse.

In the Jarvis/Front Street area, there are some beautiful home décor stores with unusual furniture that you don’t find in the suburbs. I don’t want to give away all my favourite spots in just one post, but I’ve been looking forward to sharing the success of my shopping trip downtown that day!

While I was downtown, I discovered that the St. Lawrence Market has an antique market every Sunday from 5:00 am to 5:00 pm. There’s nothing like the stench of a room full of old stuff to really wake you up on a Sunday morning. I hate to admit it, but people watching can be just as amusing in such a place; the old woman in a full fur coat, the guy who’s trying to sell stuff you saw in Zellers ten years ago, etc. But if you go with an open mind, a good sense of humour and some hand sanitizer, you’ll be fine!

Outside in a small booth, I saw a beautiful yellow velvet chair that looked like it belonged in a woman’s dressing room. The couple was selling it for $90, which seemed unreasonable considering it needed reupholstering and had to be dragged back to my car, but I loved it so much that I couldn’t leave without it. At the end of some hard bargaining, I walked away with the chair for $40!

All of the quotes for reupholstery that I received were well over $300, so I decided to try doing it myself. I found gorgeous fabric at inVU Drapery Co. to cover it, some new nail heads, and ended up upholstering it on my own!

I’ve been back to the market since with no success, but I always love grabbing a coffee nearby and window shopping. If you have the time and patience to find something completely unique for your home, I definitely recommend venturing out to a flea market or antique show in your area.