under Design, Green Interiors If you’re on a budget but still love the look of modern design, IKEA is a popular place to find that affordable furniture fix. But could you imagine yourself going “vintage modern” by purchasing second-hand IKEA products? Just a few days ago IKEA launched a new program in Sweden that offers used IKEA pieces online, and they intend to extend this idea to other foreign outlets. Peter Agnefäll, CEO of IKEA Sweden told the daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter, “It is about taking an environmental responsibility for how our products are used in the longer term and making it easier for our customers to do their part for their responsibility towards the environment.” We’re not too sure about the quality and life span of most IKEA furniture, but we do appreciate the gesture as the big-box company tries to reduce waste with a more sustainable business venture.How to Make a Tablecloth with Bandanas Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman Click on image to zoom
Designers: Charles and Ray EamesThe lounge chair and ottoman have their origin in Charles and Ray’s investigations into molding plywood and a desire to improve upon a familiar fixture in many living rooms: the lounge chair. Citing the English club chair as inspiration, Charles said he sought to design a modern version of that chair, one that had “the warm receptive look of a well-used first baseman's mitt.” Almost immediately, the design became an icon of American design. Today, these pieces not only live in museums, but continue to offer comfort and style to interiors around the world. A universally recognized form, the set is available in a variety of veneers, multiple leather options, and two sizes. Whatever selection you make, you can be assured of the quality and authenticity of this design. Configure Your Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman Add to Wish List Own a True Icon of Modern Design When the set was introduced in 1956, there was nothing like it, and there is still nothing to equal it.
The Eameses' modern take on a 19th century club chair has not only endured for more than 50 years, it has become one of the most significant furniture designs of the 20th century—instantly recognizable and enduringly fresh. Like all classics, the chair and ottoman get better with age, in part because of how they are made. From the innovative hardware that fastens the cushions to the shells without marring the appearance of the wood to the fact that each piece continues to be assembled by hand, the combination of craft and manufacturing consistency results in pieces that are genuinely authentic. "A special refuge from the strains of modern living." The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman has become so recognizable that its configuration is now a registered trademark. That form and the materials used to create it are an integral part of the experience the set delivers. Today, the chair and ottoman are available in a variety of veneers, multiple leather options, and two sizes.
The same high level of quality and workmanship is guaranteed, regardless of the selection you make. Choose contract-grade or our MCL Leather, which possesses a striking balance among softness, durability, and color-fastness. MCL Leather is a premium, semi-aniline, dyed leather with 100 percent natural full grain. Color variations and surface marks are an inherent characteristic of this material, which will acquire wrinkles and creases and develop a rich patina over time. An oiled finish is available for walnut and santos palisander veneers. It closely matches the look and feel of the finish used on the original rosewood chair, and will need to be maintained with periodic hand oiling. You can also choose the standard, high-performance lacquered plywood shell in wood veneer. The lacquered finish requires nothing more than dusting. Luxurious Comfort and Support The comfort and support built into the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman help explain their enduring popularity.
A dynamic blend of hand-craftsmanship and mass production techniques makes this possible. The cushions will not flatten or clump over time. As Charles Eames described them, "The leather cushions do have built-in wrinkles to start with, but that is a clue that spells comfort to come, like the warm, receptive look of a well-used first baseman's mitt." Each hide used for the cushions possesses variations that are a natural occurrence in leather, and each will age to reveal its own unique personality. The seat is permanently tilted to take the weight off your lower spine and distribute it properly to the back of the chair. The lower cushion piece supports your lower back, so you feel relaxed. The angle supports your chest so that you can be comfortable as you read, watch a movie, or have a conversation. A Place of Rest The ottoman also provides a health benefit. Most of us sit or stand all day, so blood collects in the lower extremities. Resting your feet on the ottoman helps restore normal blood circulation.
Like all classics, the chair and ottoman get better with age. Both are hand-assembled with great attention paid to the details. Shells are 7-ply veneers. Cushions are individually upholstered and replaceable. The back braces and bases—of both the chair and ottoman—are die-cast aluminum. The chair base has a built-in swivel mechanism. Shock mounts are resilient natural rubber. Stainless steel glides are adjustable.One of the main reasons we love our homes is the furniture. It enhances our rooms, makes our lives much more comfortable, and brings life into our houses. However, buying new furniture is a large investment and sometimes there's not enough money to spend on new furniture. Luckily, there's a lot of great second-hand furniture stores in Toronto so you don't have to save up for new furniture but build a comfortable and convenient interior space with second-hand or reused furniture instead. However, finding a decent second-hand furniture store might be a daunting task. This short guide should make finding a good second-hand furniture store in Toronto and the GTA a bit easier.
Monday-Saturday : 11:00 A.M.-6:00 P.M. Sunday: 11:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. GUFF Good Used Furniture Finds is a reasonable and stylish used furniture store packed with great stuff that has all you need. Their collection includes a mix of interesting vintage finds, mid-century modern classics, re-purposed industrial pieces, and much more. Their turnover is high but there are always new pieces coming in. Nothing describes GUFF Good Used Furniture Finds better than dozens of very positive reviews of satisfied customers such as this one: This place is definitely worth a stop â even if you don't think you need anything, you'll find something delightful that will make you mentally rearrange your living room to see if you can justify bringing it home. If you're looking for something specific, it might be useful to check their blog before visiting their store. Read more about the .. Monday-Tuesday: 11:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. Wednesday-Thursday: 11:00 A.M.-8:00 P.M.
Read more about the ...of Things Past Monday, Friday: 10:00 A.M.-6:00 P.M. Tuesday-Thursday: 10:00 A.M.-7:00 P.M. Saturday: 9:00 A.M.-6:00 P.M. Sundays: 11:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. Frontier Sales offers a vast selection of quality furniture from almost every era â antique, vintage, mid-century modern, and even pieces found in the latest decor magazines. It was established in 1981 and since then has quickly became one of the first successful second-hand stores in Toronto. Their friendly and knowledgeable staff makes sure that your experience with Frontier Sales is positive. Their huge, 15,000-square-foot showroom hides many beautiful treasures that are waiting to be discovered. Take a look at their virtual showroom before visiting their brick and mortar store at Danforth Avenue. Monday-Friday: 11:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. Located in Ossington Village, Cindiloohoo is an excellent second-hand furniture store that sells reclaimed and refurbished furniture as well as some antiques.
This highly acclaimed store is popular among local lovers of unique, stylish home furnishings. Their selection includes an abundance of stunning vintage pieces that have a lot of stories and character. If you don't have enough time for browsing through piles of furniture crammed in second-hand furniture stores scattered around the whole of Toronto, you should try purchasing your furniture online. Furnishlyst is a curated online second-hand furniture store that provides a great way to view the best quality furniture listings in Toronto. It takes listings from several sites across the internet and curates them for quality and value. The list is updated several times a day. "Antique stores by nature tend to be pretty eclectic, but I think more than most we really have a bit of everything." This was the answer given by Palmer Jarvis, manager of 1698 Queen Antiques, when I asked him what made his store stand out from the many others. A blowtorch made out of brass can share store space with a coffee table made from a eighteenth-century grain threshing board, along with a rotary knife sharpener and what Jarvis described as "the usual 1960s - 70s teak furniture."
Read More about 1698 Queen Antiques Monday-Wednesday: 11:00 A.M.-6:00 P.M. Thursday-Friday: 11:00 A.M.-7:00 P.M. Saturday: 11:00 A.M.-6:00 P.M. Sundays: 12:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. It's highly unlikely that you'd ever find a blowtorch or a reborn threshing board at Chatelet. Owner Teresa Wiwchar (pronounced "wicher") told me that she aims for "a sort of girlie aesthetic, sort of French." Wiwchar's establishment is small and white, stuffed with little things that sparkle and larger stuff that's, well, white. 1000 Queen St. E (at Carlaw Ave.) As its somewhat manly name suggests, MachineAgeModern is the antithesis of Chatelete in a lot of ways. While inviting (and dog-friendly), you could hardly call it cosy, and while many of the pieces on display may be elegant, most of them are emphatically not pretty. The space itself is also vastly different (and for an antique store, rather distinctive), being spacious and incredibly well lit. 710 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto,
Monday, Wednesday - Saturday: 10 am - 6 pm, Sunday 12 pm - 5pm, Tuesdays by appointment Even though Vintage Home Boutique has been open only a short time, the hot seller has been mid-century platform bed frames - the perfect piece for many of the new condominium residents of the neighbourhood. Several shoppers are also looking for bedroom dressers. For Maureen and Keith, their devotion to quality vintage and well-made design is now shared by all those who come to Vintage Home Boutique. Read more about Vintage Home Boutique Monday, by appointment only Ethel, a vintage furniture and home décor boutique, is a far cry from spare and minimal design that is de rigeur for serious home decor: as its owner Shauntelle LeBlanc says "life is too short for beige." From Polynesian pop tiki accessories to a streamlined teak furniture, Ethel's offerings fall under the mantra that vintage colour, pattern, whimsy and style are compatible with contemporary homes. Monday - Tuesday closed