toronto shoppin
 

Are there any places to shop in Toronto that are similar to Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, etc. as in the US? I'm looking for home accessory/ or funky artsy types of things.
Thanks!

Pottery Barn has branches.

And there are a lot of home supply stores on King Street East, near Jarvis.

BAK

Well, we do have Pottery Barn here but for others, there's HomeSense, Home Outfitters, the Bombay Company (not funky/artsy but very pretty and some unusual things), Kitchen Stuff Plus, Restoration Hardware, Up Country, and many many funky furniture and design places in the St. Lawrence Market area and along King Street from Church west to about Sherbourne. Also on Queen West from Bathurst to Bellwoods and then again from Dufferin to Roncesvalles. There's tons more but those are the ones that come to mind first.

And don't forget IKEA, if you are coming from somewhere that doesn't have one.

Plus a favorite of tourists ... CAban.

This has a wide variety of well designed items, from six dollar white plates to five thousand dollar floor lamps.

Well worth a visit. On Queen Street West at Beverley, which is a few blocks west of University Avenue, and in a part of Queen Street West where there are lots of other interesting stores.

Lowest priced really good thing at Caban is probably the hot chocolate powder.

I'm not much of a home decor kind of a guy, but Homesense, and the Homesense portion of some Winners stores, has great things, if you are lucky. Stock changes often, but usually there are excellent steak knoives, a variety of cutting boartds, some excellent salad dressings and spices, fine pots and pans, and an ever-changing selection of picture frames are what seem to me to be very low prices.

BAK

Thanks to everyone for the info. I'm leaving tomorrow, 11/9 for Toronto and I'll definitely check these places out!

I just noticed your screen name;

Do you know about The Design Exchange?

It's on Bay Street, between King and Wellington, in the Ernst & Young Tower, and is a center for any kind of design you can think of -- architecture, furniture, fashion, typography....

www.dx.org

My last meetings there were about left and right brain theory -- design is a pretty far reaching term.

BAK

Also, Designers' Walk in the Avenue Road/Davenport area (otherwise known as Ave & Dav).

www.designerswalk.com

Then have lunch or dinner at Cantine or Arlequin just down the street.

Does Candace Olson have a shop open to public?

I love Candace Olson, does she have a shop open to the public???? We're going to Toronto and have received a lot of fabulous information from a lot of you, BAK should write a book, you have a wealth of information!! I love decorating and design!! I can't wait to try some of the places you have been talking about here too. designervix, hope you let us know how your shopping went!
MFP

Hi all, I'm back from Toronto and wanted to report I had some success with the shopping suggestions. I didn't have as much free time as I had hoped (was there on business), but found some great shops on King st.E, Caban (in Sherway Gardens Mall). Someone also suggested great shops on Queen street, west of Spadina. I didn't make it there, but am headed back to Toronto this Sunday, 11/20-23 so this is my chance to check out more places. On a side note, I also have to say everyone in Toronto seems so nice. It's really refreshing to find such a great cosmopolitan city with a small town warm and friendly feeling.