Design Stores
Metropolis Living
Metropolis Living is an inviting new store in the Junction that sells vintage home decor pieces. That description barely does justice to this fun shop. Something about the playful juxtapositions of objects and their skewed scales, or the smart re-purposing of materials brings a smile to my face. And I'm not alone - on two recent visits, I was amused to see others who were actually laughing out loud at the pieces for sale.
It's refreshing to see this trend of "value added" vintage taking root in Toronto. The key is that it's not just cleaning up some old piece of equipment and putting a price on it, but actually re-inventing a new, desirable piece out of something that would have been scrap. One of the best examples of this is a superb dining table that was created by grafting a section of a bowling lane onto table legs. Presto! Easily the coolest dinner table I've seen all summer. ($2,895)
Other stunners include a glass-topped table with a base made from an industrial cord spinning rig and a coffee table transformed from an industrial cart. ($1,895)
Many of the objects are just well-chosen pieces of history, like a 1940's miniature motorcycle taken from a carnival ride ($1,195), or an improbably cool tripod lamp with a spinning colour wheel ($595).
To suggest that these pieces will promote conversation is a given, but I'm happy just having such cool things around me to inspire me. My idea of something interesting to frame and put on my walls is an antique blueprint of a bridge ($350), so I was pleased to find a sterling example available of that here.
Signage letters are near and dear to me as well, and a nice selection is available. The collection included (past tense - it's sold) a monumental 10 foot tall M ($2,200) that someone smart snatched up for their garden.
With so much to look at and friendly staff, I'll be back soon.
Photos by Dennis Marciniak
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A bunch of steampunk-inspired knick-knacks and artfully distressed junk selling for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Not a good omen for the Junction's future.
There's definitely some cool stuff to be found, no doubt. And some serious creativity at play, but it's as much in the exploitive prices as in the design.
And that I hate to see how every neighbourhood in central Toronto is slowly turning into a collection of shops peddling overpriced lifestyle accoutrements to rich people (or people who must have very over-extended credit). All part and parcel of making the city unaffordable for all but the privileged.
But hey, it's a big city... there's room for ridiculous decadence. Live and let live, right? But, my very reasonable concern is that inner-city Toronto is slowly becoming one giant district for frivolous, inessential decadence. This is not a model for a healthy city. That's all. I care about Toronto. I want it to remain diverse and accessible for everyone.
To Matt: You want accessibility? There are thousands of stores in Toronto selling every imaginable good and service that cater to consumers in every income bracket. You can get furniture for free on Craigslist for goodness' sakes. Why would you care what other people are spending their money on? You say your model of a healthy city includes diversity but how is hating on an expensive furniture store promoting diversity.
And what is up with your obsession with "decadence". Some people would consider the fact that you are commenting on a meaningless store review on blogTO incredibly decadent when you could be putting your time to more productive use.
But I have an emotional reaction to this sort of thing (exorbitantly priced boutiques.) I often feel that Toronto is becoming a city catering to a sort of exclusive, executive class of trend-obsessed professionals with identical taste in food, fashion, and everything else. It's boring, it's anti-urban, and it's not in keeping with the democratic, diverse image of Toronto we present to the world.
No one has ever willingly set foot in a "payday advance" store. They do it because they have to.
i completely agree - a good city is diverse, it shouldn't be an enclave for nothing but the rich professionals. we don't want to become manhattan (now mostly office towers and boutiques instead of places where art can thrive - all that action's out in brooklyn now)
i'm afraid if property values keep skyrocketing like they have since 2000, gentrification in toronto will only get worse. pretty soon jane and weston will be full of gastropubs.
i still think the stuff in this store looks really cool, and while it's overpriced it is all one-of-a-kind and designer.
And we're still pretty good, but less so with every year that passes, and every neighbourhood that fills up its main streets with shops like this. Sorry. That's what I think.
BTW, sorry to get so far off topic from your original review of this store (which I rather enjoyed). Also, I don't work for one of those cash stores, I just chose the name because that those bright yellow signs were the first image to come to my mind after reading your comment.
Your comments are valid and well put, but you asked what the difference between a design store and a cash store was.
ian
PS: Don't be mean to Matt.
Everyone has an opinion. Respect that.
For those who don't click on the link, it's to Toronto Life's recent "baby essentials" list, including items like a $1,000 "changing station" from some ridiculous baby boutique on Queen West.
My problem is over-consumption, and the fear that Toronto is turning into a place where our urban lifestyle is defined by what we purchase, and where so much stuff is too exclusive. So I'm not happy to see this in the Junction. Because I like the Junction as it is, a slightly out-of-the-way place where under-the-radar creativity can flourish (and where decently-paid factory workers can still buy a house in the city.)
We can talk about the unfairness of Wal-Mart's business model, and their exploitation of third-world labour, but that's a different issue.
And Paul, you've somehow misconstrued what I've said as being anti-small business and advocating a controlled economy. I don't know where you got that from. I'm gonna stop checking this thread 'cause I'm just pissing into the wind here.
I, myself a young working 'middle-class' (i hate to make those references but it provides more context) professional, appreciate great/creative design and have been slowly furnishing my condo over that past 6 months. That beign said, I cannot afford to furnish my condo with completely new furniture that cuts my taste, just not affordable to me. So, I decided that the majority of my large items I purchased would be second-hand/bought at a discounted rate etc. I would then put in more money into a couple key items that would set the tone and feel of my decor, for instance, my couch. Using this strategy and some creativity I was able to buy the $2K couch I wanted while still remaining within budget for my furnishings.
Now in terms of afforability for the lower-income bracket, shopping at such stores may not be as possible, but it doesn't mean that they shouldn't exist...there are plenty of more affordable stores (little store called IKEA comes to mind) and of course many second-hand stores (Goodwill, Salvation Army etc)that may be better suited. Goodwill used to have a great 'flagship' store around the George Brown Culinary school campus where you could bid on used furniture pieces that had been donated. I was able to get a great chest of drawers, solid and good quality for very little - does anyone know if its still operating in the city?
Re: Jenny - thanks for the tip, I have a great table that needs re-doing, maybe i'll go in and talk to the owners to get their recco.
Peace!
mix martial arts battleground.
Good thing it's legal here now or you'd all be
in trouble. Except Matt. He's the champ!
Laughing at you all.
I would far rather purchase a priceless piece of furniture from a small business owner than purchase an affordable piece of junk from Ikea or the like. The owner's at Metropolis bring these items in from all over the US and bring them to their store in the Junction. For you to do the same you would have to source it, drive way out or get it couriered, refinish it and then pay staff min wage to sit in your store and sell it. More expensive, yes but fair, absolutly. I much prefer taking my time to purchase life-long pieces of art/furniture that I will not have to replace in a few years as they are broken or just scream of Ikea.
Your argument about Walmart is just offensive. Try living in a small town, and owning your own small business when Walmart moves in. You're closed in months and working for the beast for min wage not long after that. They wipe out entire microeconomies for disposable crap. Talk about elitist.
Payday,
Fine, you have a point. I just don't like the fact that you are a block from three women's shelters and there are three of you within 2 blocks. The Junction is cleaning up its image and I hope eventually they will wipe you out too. If you didn't exist, our government would have to deal with the larger problem at hand. Because you do exist, they can sweep it under the rug while you make a profit on people's welfare cheques. Shame.
AStar