The Best Vintage Furniture Stores in Toronto
You can't swing a Danish teak side table without hitting a great vintage furniture store in Toronto. Vintage furniture can be bought as-is, refurbished, or you can get vintage essence by picking up a reproduction of a classic.
Most of the stores listed here offer a little of all of the above. But they're all good options, and they all get us out of the stores where one beige starts to look very much like another, and back into the scary and exciting world of personal style.
There are often strong personalities behind a vintage place, and pieces are selected according to the owner's tastes.
In addition to furniture, you'll find sundries that they also happen to like. Like Freitag bags at INabstracto, cutlery at Machine Age Modern, or rentable vintage bikes at Koma.
This ain't Ikea.
Photos at top, from left to right, taken at: Zig Zag, Morba, and Machine Age Modern.
Queen West Antique Centre
It's a massive antique, vintage, retro flea market, just down at the bottom of Roncesvalles Village. Milo Baughman chairs 6 for $2495. Science classroom themed pieces as well as vintage U of T filing cabinets. Everything is well-cared for, the inside of a set of drawers was getting an orange oiling while I browsed. The inside. Impressive. More...
Zig Zag
Like every other condo-owning museum go-er, you could get a reproduction of Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich's Barcelona chair, or, for less money and more backstory, you could pick-up Zig Zag's set of two original Robert Haussmann's 1955 Bauhaus-inspired bronze-plated Swiss versions for $1095. More...
Phil'z 20th Century Design
It seems everyone sells reproduction Eames recliners (personally I think we can point to Frasier), but not everywhere has an Eames Sofa Compact (Phil'z does -- $2995). For square footage, it's not quite in the same league as the Queen West Antique Centre, but it does go on and on, and back and around. Lots to see and covet. More...
INabstracto
Kate Eisen is one of West Queen West's longest standing residents, going back to Stardust Lounge days. And, as the writing on the papered up window says, don't panic, she's not moving, just renovating. Like the best vintage stores, INabstracto showcases a curated collection rather than just whatever's going. More...
Machine Age Modern
With its fluid lines, Verner Panton's S chair beckons you to sit down. But his Pantonova Dining Set, available at Machine Age Modern for $12500, goes in a slightly different direction. It looks about as inviting as sitting on a whisk, but it certainly catches your eye (and there's always the option of cushions). More...
Red Indian Art Deco
For years I couldn't get past the name, but if you go inside you'll be rewarded with all the deco your eyes can take in. Unaltered scavenged finds, it's a deco wonderland. One man's obsession has led to a brilliantly cultivated store. Fantastic credenzas, free-standing radios, lamps, tables, and that's just the furniture (which is all currently 20% off). Pieces that are unapologetic about their style. More...
Smash
I want to open a restaurant, only to justify the purchase of one of Smash's commercial oak fridges for $4000 (just like the one at Cinnamon Girls). Smash's grand opening of their huge warehouse space was just this past Tuesday. Pick up a rolling library ladder from Putnam ($450), or a vintage dental cabinet ($850). Smash has everything and the sink(s), like the impactful 1930s one for $625. More...
Morba
Morba. Also known as "the place with the metal chairs out front". Near the door are a George Nelson Marshmallow chair ($1185 marked down from $1495), a Zig Zag chair, an Eames chaise, and a Corona chair. Dig deeper in the back (not literally, it's packed in so efficiently you could be buried alive) and you'll find original pieces, and plenty of curiousities. More...
Bungalow
Bungalow is lifestyle vintage. Buy your clothes, your furniture, your accessories and freeze time. Lots of Scandinavian teak, original and reupholstered. A more complete inventory, not limited to the dining room and living room, but also stocking bedroom and office furniture. More...
KOMA Designs
KOMA has grabbed just about every furniture adjective there is to describe their store "archaic, antique, vintage, retro, mid century modern, contemporary, urban, imported, exotic", but it's true, they do have a bit of everything. I'm adding "surgical" to that list to cover some of their more distinctive pieces. And I'm pretty sure I was admiring the Giger stools at LeVack Block over brunch, then found their source at KOMA. I heart Toronto. More...
Comments (18)
I got a great deal at Phil'z, but it was a little sketch. Paper receipts, only cash accepted. I love Machine Age Modern, they are really accomidating and have remarkable one of a kind pieces. Red Indian Art Deco is hard to navigate and is less customer service focused, but the price is right so I can't complain!
Long time ago, my brother bought a blender at Red Indian. Got it home, roaches marched out of it. Took it back, complained. Owner just shrugged "Too f*'in bad." Long time ago.
the owner of Morba is a big prick. I applied for a job there once and he wanted my landlord's phone# as a reference. He only plays max 9 bucks an hour and hired students so he can pay them student wage. I would never shop there EVER.
What about Zig Zag and Ethel on Queen Street East. Two prime locations used by the film industry for decades!!!
What about Eclectisaurus for great vintage & modern Furnishings, Lighting, and Housewares, etc.
Friendly service & good prices.
http://www.eclectisaurus.com
I'm looking to find a job as a picker for a decent vintage furnature store. and am seriously in love with buying the stuff my my collection is getting a little big and would like keep on adding to it i ahve a few really nice pieces from the 1958 to 1965 era, kia christensen style chairs, white vinyl hideaway love seat (mint) teak finished side bord and hutch
Retro! The word always brings a smile. In the late 40’s and 50’s when these styles came out they were "futuristic" and ultra-modern. More exotic or outlandish ideas from the time. http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com/Vintage_Retro.html
Can anyone help me to find an antiquelouis XV upholstered (preferably tufted) bed??? I have been searching without any luck : (. At this point i would be satisfied with a (gasp) reproduction because my bedroom is sadly incomplete without it!
We were seduced by the beautiful furniture in their store. We bought 2 bakery shelves for 2390$. But then once we brought them home after a couple for days our apartment started reaking with a moldy smell. Slowly we figured out it was form the shelves we tried keeping the windows open for 2 weeks straight but the smell just got worse. When we contacted the owner Cynthia she said it wasn't her responsibility and hung up the phone to our faces. We then went physically to the store and even then she told us she didn't care and a sold product was a sold product. She didn't care that her product was putting our health in danger and was preventing us from being at ease in our home. The shelves are now on our balcony as we can no loner bare to have them inside because it was causing us severe headaches, and we are going to have to start a legal procedure to ger her to take them back. don't do business with this woman you will regret it. She has no scruples and is pretty much heartless. Sarastan
Hi Everyone - I was wondering if you could help me out. I have some close friends in Toronto getting married. They love vintage furntiture but I can't get anything to them as I'm in Melbourne, Australia. It's a long shot but does anyone know a vintage furntiure store that could organise a gift voucher for them?
I have a Svendborg Model 5700 made by Jorgenson would you be interested in buying it?
Please call me at 416 804 1943 ask for Dana
I went to Eclectisaurus yesterday after looking at their website and I just loved the cool selection - Hollywood Regency to Mid-Century Modern furnishings and lighting. Bought a great pair of 1950's end-table lamps and a beautiful vintage Danish teak coffee table (early 60's I think). The owner is Leslie and her store is located at 249 Gerrard Street East in Cabbagetown. http://www.eclectisaurus.com
Tony, if you are still looking for a vintage store that will offer a gift certificate for your soon to be married friends. I would contact Upsidedive. They have a store on Queen Street, right in the city and they also have an online store. Of course, not all there furniture is up online. The couple would have to go into the store to have a look around, but they do delivery and they have some great pieces, and are quite reasonably priced, plus they are always supper accommodating. Check out www.upsidedive.com for their contact info. Good Luck!
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