Treasure hunting Queen Street West, Toronto

Toronto’s size and traffic are legendary, so the key to navigating the 140 plus neighbourhoods is knowing where the gems are.  On a recent trip   I discovered the treasure hunting possibilities in the eclectic area of  Queen Street West.

We have just purchased a cottage which wasn’t a planned purchase , so there is no budget for furniture, so it made sense to check out upscale junk shops to find a few bargains.  It is a testament to human ingenuity that the flotsam and jetsam that used to belong to someone else can be creatively recycled, repurposed, and reused.

First we went in search of fabulous fabric to recycle some old wing chairs of our own that needed prettying up before they found their way to the new cottage.  We had been told that the only game in town for fabric was the Designer Fabric Outlet, in the heart of Parkdale, 1360 Queen Street West.  We were lucky enough to park right in front and tried to focus on exactly what we were looking for without getting distracted by the overwhelming amount of scrumptious fabrics.  I headed straight to the  linens, and chose a lovely Oatmeal Irish linen for the wing chairs – check that off the list.  I also picked up some blue and white ticking for accent cushions, and strayed a bit from the list to pick up another  coordinating fabric to keep the ticking company in a contrasting , yet coordinating fabric.  So much fun.  I could have stayed hours.   I also picked up pillow forms for all the pillows because the prices were phenomenal, and the customer service was top notch.

After exhausting our list, we were in need of refueling before heading on to the antique strip, so ambled down the street to  Brown Sugar for tea and pastries.  1374 Queen Street West, 416-516-7771

We then headed to the Antique Centre, 1605 Queen Street West, and managed to park on a side street, then spent several hours looking at everything you could imagine would be available.  We didn’t buy anything, but got lots of ideas.

The area has the combination of old and new worlds that we find so exciting…..plus, it’s easily walk able and provides a sense of this bustling city’s great charm, history and style.

photos:  Jeff Thomason

blown budget already :  Melody Wren