15 vintage furniture and decor stores to visit in Canada
Whether you love pop art, Hollywood Regency or mid-century styles à la Mad Men, there’s a vintage furniture or vintage home decor store out there for you
Whether you love pop art, Hollywood Regency or mid-century styles à la Mad Men, there’s a vintage furniture or vintage home decor store out there for you.
Some bricks-and-mortar stores specialize in certain eras, whereas others offer a mix of everything. Many sell some or all of their inventory online as well, which has helped them to survive the provincial restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In January 2021, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) estimated that 181,000 small businesses in Canada are considering permanently closing due to the pandemic. That’s one in six — and it’s in addition to the 58,000 that already closed in 2020. By the end of the pandemic, that means one in five small businesses may have permanently closed.
“The more businesses that disappear, the more jobs we will lose and the harder it will be for the economy to recover,” says Simon Gaudreault, senior director of national research at CFIB, in a statement.
In some provinces, vintage stores may be permitted to be open for in-store shopping, or curbside pick-up or drop-off under COVID-19 restrictions — so check to see what’s currently going on in your area. Many stores will also sell through their websites, Instagram, or Etsy sites — all good ways to support them (when you can) so that they can keep their doors open.
Below, we’re sharing a list of some cool vintage furniture and vintage decor stores across Canada to visit or follow online. (Check out vintage clothing stores, too!)
The Fabulous Find
4-1046 Mason St. | Victoria, BC
@thefabbfind
thefabulousfind.ca
Whitewashed brick walls make the mid-century modern furniture, lamps and accessories pop in this showroom. Designers include Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobesen, George Nelson, Eero Saarinen, Herman Miller and more.
The Fabulous Find refinishes and reupholsters many of its pieces, bringing them back to their former glory. Recent acquisitions include a pair of 1961 Harry Bertoia bird chairs with ottomans for Knoll, and a Hans Olsen roundette dining suite with table and chairs. Shop in-store.
Attic Treasures
944 Commercial Dr. | Vancouver, BC
@attic_treasures_vancouver
attictreasuresvancouver.com
Nestled on Commercial Drive, one of Vancouver’s best strips for vintage shopping, Attic Treasures was voted by readers of The Georgia Straight as the Best Consignment Furniture Store in 2020.
Lillian Reimer’s shop, established in 1988, is an ever-changing, carefully curated trove of pieces from the 1930s to 1980s. Everything you need to build the mid-century collection of your dreams is here, from teak coffee tables to Pyrex cookware to curvaceous lamps. Offers rentals. Prices and measurements are online, but shop in-store.
Lois Lane Warehouse
2811 Pandosy St. | Kelowna, BC
@loislanewarehouse
When the weather is good, owner Lois McCloskey often takes her store out onto the sidewalk, letting a chartreuse velvet sofa or styled teak bedroom set beckon customers further inside. In the shop, retro finds abound, from vintage kilim rugs to distressed French-country tables to late ’60s Brutalist wall clocks.
Recent wow-items have included an Electrohome teak stereo console with dual record player and a 1970s blue velvet sectional — perfect for stretching out with a cocktail for a David Lynch screening. McCloskey and her son Connor frequently refinish or reimagine pieces, giving them new life. Case in point: the pair recently turned the top section of a walnut highboy hutch into a sideboard by adding stiletto legs, making it perfectly compact for condo living. Shop in-store.
BEX Vintage / Mr. Mansfield Vintage
1611 14 St. SW | Calgary, AB
@bexvintage.ca | @mansfieldvintage
bexvintage.ca | mrmansfieldvintage.com
The owners of BEX Vintage and Mr. Mansfield Vintage joined forces in 2019 to open a retro emporium that reflects their shared curatorial taste, which is heavy on mid-century modern but extends from Atomic Age designs to 1980s Art Deco Revival.
Mr. Mansfield Vintage also stocks vintage fashions in-store. BEX earmarks certain items for an online “charity click and collect” and donates 20 per cent of the sale proceeds for those items to local charities.
Both vintage shops buy from estate sales or from sellers who are downsizing their homes, and they curate contemporary local art for their store. Shop in-store, online or via Instagram for both stores.
Maven & Grace
9601 82 Ave. NW | Edmonton, AB
@mavenandgrace
mavenandgrace.com
This store is a one-stop shop — vintage furniture and decor share space with all of the little modern extras you need to decorate, such as apothecary items, fragrances and candles, pantry goods and kitchenware, and seasonal florals.
With vintage tastes ranging from antique farmhouse tables to French provincial cabinets to warm maple benches, each shopping trip into Maven & Grace feels like a trip to the European countryside. Shop in-store or online.
Hoopers
1400 Sargent Ave. | Winnipeg, MB
@shophoopers
shophoopers.ca
The light-filled Hoopers showroom in Winnipeg is home to vintage furniture from designers such as Kai Kristiansen, Grete Jalk, Herman Miller and Montreal manufacturer RS Associates. A rotating selection of teak lamps, mirrors, rugs and pottery from Denmark and West Germany round out the retro offerings.
In addition to the vintage collection, Hoopers stocks quality contemporary furniture with a Scandinavian or mid-century style, such as the made-in-Canada Gus Modern line and Danish brand UMAGE. Shop in-store, or view products online and order via phone or email.
The Apartment
238 Queen St. E. | Toronto, ON
@theapartmentlife
theapartmentlife.ca
Behind a pale-pink facade on a block of colourful 1880s-era character buildings in downtown Toronto, Fiona’s store wows with glamorous Hollywood Regency finds, pastel glassware and mod furniture. As new pieces come and go, she re-styles her collection into “rooms,” like a cool apartment you’d want to hang out in.
Recent acquisitions include a massive Milo Baughman brass shelving unit, and a vintage Togo sofa by Ligne Roset. Not in Toronto? The Apartment sells online (and ships globally!) and holds regular Instagram story sales.
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Vintage Home Boutique
1639 St. Clair Ave. W. | Toronto, ON
@vintagehomeboutique
vintagehomeboutique.ca
If you’re seeking top-of-the-line vintage teak, Vintage Home Boutique is the place to go. Keith and Maureen Lobo opened up shop in 2014 after selling online for two years.
Specializing in teak mid-century modern and Danish modern furniture, the Lobos authenticate each piece and can customize pieces if clients require adjustments. They’ll also refinish or reupholster clients’ existing furniture. Shop in-store or online. Shipping across Canada.
Antique Avenue
329 Ottawa St. N. | Hamilton, ON
@antique_avenue
antiqueavenue.ca
One of a cluster of vintage shops on Hamilton’s Ottawa Street, this vintage, antiques and collectibles emporium boasts 100,000 items in stock available for purchase or rent.
With an inventory like that, expect to find anything you could imagine at Antique Avenue, from vintage Aztec wall hangings to mid-century modern furniture Art Deco lamps to 19th-century carved ibex shelves. Record collectors relish in a large vinyl collection. Shop in-store (note: basement level), with some items listed on Instagram. Ships globally.
Founddesign
Ed. note: This store closed in May 2023.
Founddesign is a mid-century mecca in Canada’s capital city. Malcolm Cairns, Founddesign’s owner, has been collecting since the 1970s and keeps a library of books, magazines, and exhibition and auction catalogues to reference for new acquisitions from the post-war period.
Whether you are looking for a Montreal-made, 1950s Simo leather chair, a tall Lotte table lamp, mid-century fine art or a teak sideboard with tambour doors, Founddesign is the place to go. Cairns will crate furniture and help to facilitate carriage, but shipping is up to the buyer.
Montreal Moderne
3894 rue Sainte-Catherine est | Montreal, QC
@montrealmoderne
Step into Scandinavia at this vintage furniture shop in Montreal’s historic Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood, which was established in the late 1800s. The store is a wood lover’s wonderland, with well-oiled teak at every turn.
The owner’s taste for Danish modern reveals itself in Peter Hvidt and Grete Jalk tables, Moller chairs, and vintage made-in-Quebec Mobican pieces evoke a similar vibe. Shop in-store, on Instagram or Facebook.
Boutique Spoutnik
2120 rue Amherst | Montreal, QC
@boutique_spoutnik
boutiquespoutnik.com
Spoutnik has been bringing Montrealers retro and vintage furniture and home decor since 1998. Sylvie Rochon’s space is jam-packed with gorgeous finds from a range of eras.
Expect to find everything from 1970s lucite lamps, French provincial dining sets, and shag area rugs set against the bright neon walls of this shop. You might also encounter Rochon’s unofficial store mascots — her cat and tiny teacup pup — on a visit. Local delivery available.
Déjà Vu Meubles
834 rue St. Joseph est | Quebec City, QC
@deja.vu.meubles
dejavumeubles.com
This St-Roch shop, which stocks furniture and home decor objects from the 1930s through 1970s, is frequently filled with colourful armchairs and sofas, as well as plenty of teak and vinyl pieces. Small decor objects include retro cookware, lighting, luggage, glassware and throw blankets. The owners also offer furniture restoring and refinishing services. Shop in-store, online or on Facebook.
Retrospekt
900 Windmill Rd. Unit 107A | Dartmouth, NS
@retrospekthalifax
retrospekthalifax.com
Owners Mark Schaay and Val Plavan have been bringing retro style to eastern Canada since 2016. Their shop, located across the harbour from Halifax in neighbouring Dartmouth, was voted Best Furniture Store in The Coast’s 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Much of the inventory is mid-century modern in near-pristine condition, but there are other vintage items on occasion, including lighting, teak ice buckets and Scandinavian pottery. Shop in-store, or browse online or on Instagram.
Phillips & Chestnut (permanently closed)
6 Havelock St. | Truro, NS
@phillips_and_chestnut
Ed. note: This store permanently closed in January 2022.
Looking to add some antique flair to your home? This old-world Nova Scotia shop specializes in architectural salvage and decor, including century-old beams, wood doors, reclaimed flooring, fireplace mantels, church-style windows and Victorian-era glass doorknobs.
In addition to original hardware, Phillips & Chestnut stocks reproduction pieces. Also available are mineral and milk paints for refinishing your own furniture — and regular workshops (outside of the pandemic) to learn how to do it.
What are your favourite vintage furniture and home decor stores? Let us know in the comments!
