Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Vancouver Shops + Stops | Part Two

From September 2014...

Continuing on where I left off yesterday with a selection of Vancouver design stores... starting the tour in the east, on Main Street, before heading into the city of Vancouver.


If you ever had a pen pal as a child, you will love The Regional Assembly of Text!  12 year old me would have loved the button making station, or the typewriters set up to type a letter to a friend.  (Let's be honest, grown up me thinks it's pretty neat as well!)  There are quirky postcards and original cards for sale, as well as a tiny nook for reading tiny books.  And yes, they have a letter writing club as well.  Adorable.

The Regional Assembly of Text
3934 Main Street, Vancouver, BC
www.assemblyoftext.com


Further down Main Street is the adorable home store, Nineteen Ten.  You will find a mix of vintage, up-cycled, hand made and modern homewares here, including purses made from vintage, iconic Hudson Bay blankets, timber and marble chopping boards... plus it was exciting to see they stock Turnco Wood Goods made by some personal friends.

Nineteen Ten
4366 Main Street, Vancouver
www.nineteenten.ca



Also on Main Street is my personal favourite, Vancouver Special.  (The store derives its name from home from the period of 1965-1985... basically a two story rectangle box with a low pitched roof, balcony stretching across the second level at the front, brick exterior on the lower level and stucco exterior on the second.)  Vancouver Special specialises in contemporary furnishings including Muuto, Norman Copenhagen, Alessi.  They also have a wide range of design books which can be very dangerous if you love design and books!

Vancouver Special
3612 Main Street, Vancouver
www.vanspecial.com



Love eclectic cafes?  Love window shopping for handmade items while you eat?  If so, then Le Marche St George is where you will want to be.  A short walk from the shops on Main Street, Le Marche St George is perched on the corner of a residential neighbourhood.  Pastries and other treats are served up on silverware, just begging to be Instagrammed!

Le Marche St George
4393 St. George, Vancouver, BC
www.marchestgeorge.com


While waiting for a table at Catch 122 just next door, we popped into Stylegarage on West Hastings.  I loved the thread of Canadiana that runs through their products; from their furniture being signature, made-to-order, to the Prairie tables (yes, three individual tables in the shape of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, click here to see them), to the stylish cushions by Nicole Tarasick.  I don't know why I walked out of the store without buying the YVR cushion, but have since discovered that they are also available through Etsy should you not be able to get to the store.  I'm always on the look out for beautiful table lamps, as I find them hard to come by... they stock gorgeous ones by Caravan Pacific.  Sadly, because of the voltage in Australia, I couldn't bring one home. :(

Stylegarage
124 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC
www.stylegarage.com



This trip I discovered that Gastown is undergoing a home renovation, quite literally!  Parliament is another homeware store in the area, specialising in modern furniture and furniture for small spaces.

Parliament Interiors
115 Water Street, Vancouver, BC
www.parliamentinteriors.com






Saving the best for last is the beautiful Old Faithful Shop, also in Gastown.  It occupies the space of a landmark building.  Original industrial detailings have been maintained and black and white photography of life in 1900s Vancouver decorates the back wall.  Enamelware, glassware and pottery lining the wooden shelves with the brick wall as a backdrop is a visual feast.

Old Faithful Shop
320 W Cordova St, Vancouver
www.oldfaithfulshop.com



 After all that shopping, you will need a pick me up!  Revolver Coffee is just around the block from the Old Faithful Shop.  Though I don't know how relaxing it is, because they are pretty serious about their coffee!  (How gorgeous is that mosaic tile... found on the floor as you enter the toilets.  Yes, design inspiration can be found anywhere!)


Revolver Coffee Inc
325 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC
www.revolvercoffee.ca

One more store I wanted to mention, though I didn't get any photos of it is The Cross... which is truly a destination for all things home, as well as baby, cards, and they have a fabulous selection of ribbons.
The Cross Décor & Design
1198 Homer Street
www.thecrossdesign.com


Vancouver Shops + Stops | Part One

From September 2014

Vancouver Shops + Stops | Part One

It's not often you hear of people escaping a chilly Australia for a sun-drenched Canada, but that was exactly what I did when I visited my old hometown of Vancouver in July for the first time since departing two and a half years ago.  Vancouver summers are just delightful with their long, warm days, sun-drenched patios overlooking the water... and I had forgotten how gorgeous the hanging baskets are!

Even though it was predominantly a family trip to tie up loose ends, I made some time to check out some shops and cafes for design inspiration.  It's a big post, so it has been roughly divided into two parts; east and west.  This post focuses on the east; from UBC to South Granville.


While exploring outside the Museum of Anthropology, I came across an event being set up.  I wanted an invitation to a party that involved tents, lanterns and scatter cushions!  How gorgeous would it be when the sun went down and you would have the lit interior of this Arthur Erikson designed building as your backdrop?

Museum of Anthropology
6393 NW Marine Dr, Vancouver

www.moa.ubc.ca



Having had fallen in love with Butter Baked Goods before I left, I had to visit the new cafe on Mackenzie Street this visit.  The interior of pistachio green joinery and pink tea rose wallpaper brings back nostalgic memories of visiting grandma, as does the delicious bars and marshmallows.  I was given the Butter Baked Goods cookbook as a gift... the cupcake recipe with its tips including using pastry flour and sifting ingredients onto parchment paper makes you feel like you are baking like a pro.  Oh, and the cupcakes are so amazing, they almost do not need icing.  Almost!

Butter Baked Goods & Cafe
4907 Mackenzie St, Vancouver, BC V6N 1G8, Canada
www.butterbakedgoods.com




I had driven past this brick apartment building at 12th and Granville for years, often admiring the terracotta pots of flowers hanging from the windows.  I had almost walked by again, but window boxes of petunias in the window of the restaurant at ground level caught my eye.  Upon closer inspection, I noted that the restaurant had undergone a renovation since the last time I was in town.  I had to have lunch just so I could sit and take it all in.  The kale Caesar salad did not disappoint either.  In fact, it was the single most delicious salad I have had in a long time.  Homemade Caesar dressing and cornbread croutons will turn you into a kale lover.

For more photos of this stunning interior, click through to this blog post from Pine Cone Camp.


No trip to South Granville is complete without stopping by Peridot for some design inspiration.  Glamourous, shiny, sparkling neutrals fill every corner of this tiny interior design shop.
Peridot

South Granville
512 West 14th Avenue, Vancouver
www.peridotdecorativehomewear.ca

 
After all that exploring, you will need an afternoon pick me up.  Thankfully, there is never a Cactus Club Cafe too far away.  The Raincoast Greens salad is welcome sight to any traveller whose eating habits are all over the map.  The ceviche, pictured here, is refreshing as well.

Cactus Club
Various locations
www.cactusclubcafe.com