Design Stores
Shelter Furniture
Shelter Furniture is a new store in the Eglinton-Lawrence area that's sure to find itself in good company amongst the many design, kitchen, bathroom and home re-modeling stores around Caledonia Road and Glencairn Avenue. The store sits in a newly remodeled warehouse and is brightly lit, well organized and easy to shop.
They don't have a catalogue or flyer and that their website isn't ready yet - a bit of a bummer because there is just so much furniture that it's actually hard to take it all in with just one visit. But, practically everything in the showroom is beautiful, if a little contemporary, and will look really sharp in almost any modern home.
What I most liked was the large collection of dining room tables and chairs. Too many times, furniture stores overlook these pieces because they can start to all look the same, but Shelter Furniture has enough variety to making choosing the perfect piece enjoyably difficult.
Among my favourite pieces are the extendable frosted white glass dining table with brushed metal base ($999) and the Dakota dining table with clear glass top and wooden "swoosh" base ($1599). My must-have table is the strikingly cool Opio bleached pine table at 110' for $1999. It's big enough to fit a family for holiday dinners but cute enough for even the most intimate of breakfasts.
The dining chairs are also quite varied and I like how they go beyond the typical high backed, armless leather chair. They have quite a few straight-back chairs, some with arms and some with whicker in the back or the seat.
Shelter Furniture also has a limited selection of complete bedroom sets. Unless you're 12 years old, no one really needs a complete bedroom set. But, sometimes, it's nice to have things that match. So, I like that I could pick up a couple of really sharp nightstands and a handsome four or six-drawer dresser that would go together and not look like I inherited them from my childhood bedroom.
I also dig the selection of rugs for sale. Now, some of them are really ugly. But others, including some Persian-style ones, are understated, mature and could really help bring a room together. The prices and sizes are varied, but average about 8 x 5 for about $1399.
The various couches, sofas and side chairs are also really hip, contemporary and, most importantly, comfortable. I almost didn't want to get up from a huge Plunge sectional sofa that was upholstered in deep gray corduroy and covered in enormous pillows ($2199). A very masculine, almost industrial, leather sofa available in white, brown or black full grain leather ($3498) also caught my eye.
For some reason, Shelter Furniture also sells quite a few purses and handbags. It's weird, a bit jarring and probably unnecessary. I can't imagine too many shoppers in the market for a couch and side chair also deciding to pick up a little handbag while they're there. But, Shelter Furniture does have a moderately sized collection of glassware and decor items, including some old-timey Mad-Men style office products. I liked the old-fashioned typewriters, staplers, desk lamps and in-and-out trays, but was dismayed to see them, for the most part, unpriced.
Photos by Dennis Marciniak
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Way better than Elte.
Please. Yet another in the style of Urban Barn / EQ3 / BLVD on Queen. Change the sign over the door and you wouldn't know which of the three you were in.
Stopped by this place last weekend, and was thoroughly impressed. The store is huge and well laid out (a concept a lot of furniture stores in the city have trouble with). Sales staff were very friendly.
Most importantly, the products are great. People putting Shelter in the same paragraph as Ikea and EQ3 have obviously never visited this place and seen the stuff they sell. Most of it is made in Canada or the U.S., is custom-manufactured when you order it (which means it takes 6-8 weeks to be delivered, but doesn't need to be assembled and doesn't come in a box that says 'Made in China'. And much of the wood furniture is real, solid high-quality (maple, oak) wood. Toronto needs more stores like this so we can move away from the crap-fest of disposable goods sold at the other places mentioned above.
They do deserve to be compared to EQ3 and the like given that they sell a good quantity of items made in Asia, Mexico, etc.
With this kind of attitude towards customers I doubt Shelter will remain in business for long.
I was just browsing, but I'd definitley go back. Dogs are also welcome.
I was just browsing, but I'd definitley go back. Dogs are also welcome.
I was greeted by a manager and then had a 90 minute walk-through with one of the owners. I was thoroughly impressed with their collection, as well as their product knowledge. Good mix of import and Canadian/American pieces; attractive price points and well laid out. They even have their own private label collection, which is pretty cool.
Speaking as a fellow independent store owner, I can say that it is not easy to source modern furniture that is both affordable and well made. Add "local" to the equation, and it becomes a veritable goose chase. I think Shelter is on the right track and is definitely going to shake things up in T.O.
relax.... its a cool hip store for TORonto
Great store, knowledgeable staff. A must visit.
Service : Average for modern style stores. The more laid back approach, which is expected if you shop at modern only stores. People of modern taste usually like to be left to themselves, envision the ideas a little. Not be shadowed and served constantly, so thanks. But the staff did seem "new" to understanding the construction of the product...
Product: Good, but under 2 reasons. 1: Knowing your going here fore a better pricepoint than a 12,000 sofa on King St.
2: To be used mostly as Fillers. Their sofa's and tables are on the better side. But items like chairs, the "chrome" finishes look on the cheaper side because they look over shiny and like "painted" metal. But these are common issues today.
I said, well I was told it wouldn't be problem when can I get these? They said a shipment was coming Monday. I said how about I take 3 or 5 now and you can fulfill those "reserved" orders on Monday? (We were having a dinner party on Sunday and needed the chairs - the funny thing is I was going to buy all that I needed on the Saturday and the rep talked me out of it). They said no, they couldn't accomodate me but they would call me right away. No call on Monday. I called on Tuesday and was told they'd arrived but needed to be assembled and would be ready any time on Wednesday. I had to call again on Wednesday....to be told the store was closing early and they wouldn't be able to have them for pick-up. Good thing I had called and didn't waste a trip.
They do have a good selection of design items but need some serious customer service training. It doesn't seem like a huge thing to keep in touch with a new customer but I don't think that's their focus, or maybe these particular chairs are a loss leader and they think that I won't be a regular customer. I don't know. As for the Charles chairs, you can get them at many places in the city and any savings at this store might not be worth your time.
Needless to say, they're no longer getting our business.
Urban Barn, EQ3 do carry Canadian made furniture,
both are made in Winnepeg and Vancouver ! Shelter is a great addition to out Toronto design furniture selection Kudos !!
I say the more the merrier ...