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April 1, 2005
Your home (decor) away from home
BAILA LAZARUS EDITOR
The daffodils poking up in front of my bedroom window aren't the
only harbingers of spring in the city. Long before puddles dry up
and sliding glass doors get slid open for the day, the season's
effect can be seen in fashion of all type. This is true for the
let's-freshen-up-your-place crowd as spring colors make their way
onto home decor shelves faster than you can say, "Pour me a
margarita." Looking for some trendy ideas, the Bulletin
headed over to West 4th Avenue.
Topping the charts for the most colorful, fun and eye-popping decor
is Hafatzim (2028 West 4th). And no, I'm not biased because
this is an Israeli company; the store is definitely easy on the
eyes. The two-floor showroom packs every color of the rainbow for
smaller items and offers furniture that ranges from funky to elegant.
In the former category are some great retro vinyl chairs, starting
at only $99, in cherry red. In the latter you'll find beautiful
wood furniture, such as an exquisite rotating book table for $750
and a two-drawer hall table for $275. The sofa/bed with thrown cushions
reminded me a little too much of my "hand-me-down chic"
university days and the wooden garden lounge chair looked like it
was made for a Boston Celtic but, aside from those two questionable
choices, this is a store whose contents I love to check up on.
Some of the more unique items that would make for great home decor
gifts are at Moulé (1994 West 4th). Owned by Winnipegger
Michael Gorenstein, the West 4th store is one of three in the chain.
Others are in Winnipeg and Park Royal Mall. For larger home items,
besides its upscale vases and four-foot-high candle holders, Moulé
is importing a line of handmade Luna Bella clocks and lamps from
Florida. Currently, a grandfather clock is the only one on the floor.
("The matching lamp went to Goldie Hawn in Malibu," according
to the sales woman.) At $1,850, the clock is definitely for the
thick of wallet but the cost is not that surprising. It looks like
artwork, as much as it does a functioning time piece, and Moulé
generally has a higher price point than your average IKEA store.
After all, a two-foot-by-three-foot cotton rug is $135. But you've
got a good chance of getting something here that no one else will
have. When another store in the area starts to carry similar products,
Moulé will discontinue the line.
Just next to Moulé is Urban Barn (1992 West 4th).
Perhaps the most varied in its range of home decoration, it's truly
a one-stop shop. From simple picture frames to leather couches,
the store is somewhat a cross between Bravura and Wonderbucks. In
one area, a stunning Kyoto bar table is fully set and surrounded
by matching chairs. A few feet away, baskets and mini-shelving units
are falling over each other on the stairs.
"We're a fit between IKEA and a store with a higher price point,"
said manager Robbie Romu. In fact, the store has found such a perfect
niche market, it was one of the 50 fastest growing companies in
British Columbia. Two years ago, the company had 10 stores in Canada.
It now has 21.
One of the reasons the store does so well is its attraction for
new condo owners you can furnish your whole place with just
one visit; and its prices are reasonable $1,299 for a six-and-a-half
foot leather sofa or $40 for a stunning shadow box with Chinese
jewelry. And it accommodates those space needs particular to smaller
apartments, like space-saving sofas with attachés or ottomans
that open up for extra storage.
For smaller items for your home, head to Motiv (2064 West
4th) or Brier's (2070 West 4th), just up the block from Hafatzim.
Though Motiv carries mostly things like kitchen and bath decorating
items, it also has mirrors, dining room chairs, stools, coffee tables
and beautiful Barcelona chairs ($900) and otto-mans ($500). (The
Barcelona chair was originally designed by Mies Van der Rohe for
the Deutscher Werkbund Pavilion which he also designed
at the Barcelona World Exposition in 1929. The chairs were to be
used by the king and queen of Spain on their official visit to the
exposition.)
Speaking of royalty, two doors away is Brier's, carrying the largest
array of ... well ... just about everything from "Grow a new
boss" gag items to "King" and "Queen" bath
towels to full-size couches. Like Urban Barn, the store carries
locally made furniture from Stylus in Burnaby. It also has quite
a surprising collection of leather dining chairs and stools, some
literature on Feng Shui to bring good karma into your home and more
wine racks than you can shake a Merlot at.
To satisfy your environmental, back-to-nature side, Brook, across
the street (2029 West 4th) sells recycled wood furniture, completely
finished, made from fir and larch. Though the items would be beautiful
in a country cottage, they didn't exactly scream "urban living"
to me. And at $900 for a high boy and $50 for a small "treasure
box," they weren't exactly inexpensive either. But did I think
the 60-inch sofa table was a great deal at $400.
The south side of West 4th, just west of Burrard offers two destinations
for bedroom decor Northern Feather (1854 West 4th)
and Majestic Futon (1828 West 4th). The former has a stunning
collection of linens, including a line of Revelle Jacquard bed linen
woven in Israel out of 100 per cent Supima cotton sateen. If that's
Greek pillow talk to you, don't worry. The staff are not only incredibly
knowledgeable about their products, a framed newspaper clipping
greets you right at the entrance explaining everything you ever
wanted to know about the fluffy stuff. A few of the things I learned:
Jacquard is an type of intricate, textured weave; thread counts
might not be real or "true"; Pima is an extra-long cotton
grown in the United States, Australia, Peru and Israel; and pillows
today are covered in beechwood cellulose. Who knew?
A few doors away, Majestic Futon has great ideas both for sleep
sets, as well as living-room futons. Stop in to try the Viscoform
memory foam. Developed by NASA, it molds to your shape and prevents
motion transfer between bedmates. It feels like you're sinking slowly
into an angel food cake. But as soon as you get up, the foam reshapes
itself, perfectly flat. Some claim it gives you a better sleep,
saying you're less likely to move around during the night. It's
guaranteed for 15 to 20 years, depending on the thickness, but the
$1,000 starting price tag for a single leaves one with a bit of
sticker shock. I think I need to lie down.
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