Attention Canadians: Furniture shopping Toronto area

6 years ago

My husband and I will soon be on the hunt for 2 new sofas, several arm chairs, dining chairs and perhaps some other items. I'm trying to figure out how to describe our style: I'd say modern farmhouse but I think that might tick people off haha. I guess traditional/french country/ farmhouse (sorry I'm not the best with design lingo) I love the tufted look with rolled arms and louis style chairs. I'd say we're in the mid to upper-mid range price wise. We're comfortable with the pricing at somewhere like La Z Boy or Stoneycreek Furniture but I obviously want to shop around to find the best options for us. We're leaning towards leather for our sofas for durability with 2 young kids. So my question is, where should we visit to find quality furniture at a reasonable price? We'll go anywhere in the GTA and north a bit as well. I just don't feel particularly knowledgeable about where to look and I'd love to hear from people with experience buying the area. I should say that Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn are definitely my style but I feel like the pricing is ridiculous, especially in Canada. Oh and if you have any suggestions for lighting retailers I'd appreciate that as well.

Looking forward to your ideas!

Sam

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beckysharp Reinstate SW Unconditionally

6 years ago

I've never been impressed by the quality from Pottery Barn and RH, and think they tend to be overpriced for the quality. My thoughts were confirmed the other year, for RH at least, by this blog post,

https://laurelberninteriors.com/2016/08/10/shocking-truth-restoration-hardware

I seem to recall a friend buying a furniture at Barrymore and being pleased, but can't recall any of the details.

I'm in Alberta, so most of my lighting purchases for our new house have been online/mail order. For lighting, try Don's Light House in St. Catherine's, very good selection and some of the best prices in Canada.

I also had good luck with Wayfair Canada, with some great pricing and fast shipping, but they have a habit of changing the name of the light fixture AND the manufacturer, so it helps considerably to know your lights by sight; Google's image search can be helpful when you're double-checking.

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Comments (12)

User
6 years ago
Hello Sam,

I've lived in the Toronto area most my life and have bought furniture from a variety of places. I have found there is so many choices, it's hard to recommend just one. I usually look around for local made furniture. Have you checked out the Vaughan area?

I bought my couches 17 years ago at a little family run local manufacturer. They are very well made and not worn at all. Unfortunately they closed down when the owners retired.
Liz Lemon
Original Author
6 years ago
ranmarie,

I actually work in the Vaughan area and know there are quite a few independent stores but mostly for things like flooring, faucets and building materials etc. I've never noticed or checked out smaller furniture places, but perhaps I'll have to pay more attention. Have you dealt with any place other than the one that closed?
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I have been to: Raymour and flannigan- Decent stuff--mid priced. bought the kids furniture and some of the office furniture there. Happy with the quality and the service. Sales people attack you at the door- but still worth checking out. Raymour and flannigan clearance- I went twice did not see anything i was looking for - but if you are looking to be thrifty check it out Ethan Allan- love their things but the style is not really what i'm looking for at this time. High End. Ashley- too low end for my taste Rider Furniture- Great things but a smaller store- if you know what you are looking for the will usually beat the price. Traditional style items. Flemington Department Store- Be aware- you will think you walked into some hokey gross thrift shop--- but keep going in-- Great selection of name brand furniture- huge store... good prices- worth the drive.. Also they sell things like great cleaning products for stainless steel and wood floors. Gasior's on Route 206 in Belle Mead- High End- very pricey and very stuffy. Too fancy for my lifestyle and kids... Thomasville- Very nice furniture- mid/high end. Bought a tv console and end tables. Sales men a little pushy but liked the quality. Nice store. Lauter's Furniture- Far drive for me... but a great store- I didn't find what i was looking for, but reasonable prices and HUGE store. Macys Furniture- too low end for me Decorators Consignment- Hopewell NJ- Great consignment store- I have not found anything yet, more of a hit or miss, but worth checking out. You might have to go a few times to find what you are looking for. Greenbaum's in Paterson - Too high end for me
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charpell
6 years ago
For leather couches I would suggest you check out LeatherCraft ( http://www.leathercraftfurniture.com). They sell through a dealer network. We bought a leather sofa through Swiss Interiors in downtown Oakville a few years ago and are so happy with it that we are going to look at a sectional from them for our new basement. Another store in Oakville that carries their line is Joshua Creek Furniture. We’ve dealt with Joshua Creek for a number of pieces over the years and have always been very happy.
Liz Lemon
Original Author
6 years ago
Becky sharp,

I tend to agree with you about RH & especially Pottery Barn and the Canadian prices seem ridiculous. Thanks for the lighting tips. I love a lot of the options on Wayfair but I'm always a little concerned I may be paying too much. I'll definitely try the other site you mentioned as I love the convenience of online. Thanks so much!

Sam
Andrea Hill
6 years ago
I would suggest upstart and online direct-to-consumer brands like Article which offers a wide range of styles at prices far below RH, West Elm, etc because they can bypass the middlemen. They also offer $49 shipping to Canada. https://www.article.com/aboutus

I also think Umbra is interesting as a design focused company based in Toronto and a good option for smaller items to fill in the home over time.

And if you can stand waiting, I suggest not buying everything from the same source all at once. It's helpful to live with the essential pieces and feel your space's needs and respond to them over time as your own tastes evolve. http://www.umbra.com/eur/furniture

Andrea
beckysharp Reinstate SW Unconditionally
6 years ago
I love a lot of the options on Wayfair but I'm always a little concerned I may be paying too much.

Wayfair is very much like Costco : ) . You have to know the prices for the same item(s) elsewhere. There are a lot of items for our new house I was able to find cheapest (vs. in stores near me in Alberta and online) at Wayfair, but some items were certainly more expensive. You have to do your homework well, but when you do the savings can be big.
Liz Lemon
Original Author
6 years ago
Andrea,

I definitely agree with the waiting. I've been hasty in the past and don't plan on buying anything until we're settled in and are aware of what we want. However, I want to start looking in the near future as I plan explore a lot of options and make sure we're really happy with our decisions. We're moving from a townhouse to detached home and we're transitioning away from Ikea and Leon's which is exciting :) Thank you for the ideas.
hatetoshop
6 years ago
Check out King Street East (between Jarvis and Parliament).
Janice B
6 years ago
We have had good success with Rowe slipcovered furniture, you can check their website for the place closest to you. It can also be ordered from Wayfair Canada, and if you are happy with their upholstery/slipcover options it was cheaper on Wayfair in my experience.
Karen Herzog
6 years ago
Have a look at the chesterfield shop. We bought leather sofa from them many years ago and love them still.
Liz Lemon
Original Author
6 years ago
Has anyone tried out Boss Leather?

Attention Canadians: Furniture shopping Toronto area

beckysharp Reinstate SW Unconditionally

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