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