Give a face-lift to your home
Those of you who have just moved will be scouring the stores soon for a little this or that to spiff up your new abode. Today I am offering you three stores which will not break the bank, since they are all liquidation clearance outlets for home accessories. When things are so inexpensive, it doesn’t hurt the pocketbook as much to buy something trendy, and if it isn’t cool anymore, or you really can’t stand it after awhile, you can just chuck it for something else. In making over any space, some of you will probably be wondering what’s in and what’s out in home accessorizing.
I enjoy watching the trends in home decor and color, since art was my background before this gig. In reading a May issue of New York magazine I came across their predictions of what’s on the horizon, so I thought I’d share some of them with you:
gray is the next chocolate brown
crystals are the next hot thing for lighting
brass is following chrome
trapezoids are replacing rectangles
wallpaper is coming back
lavender follows hot pink
ornate will eclipse sleek
op art has returned
cork is really big
velcro is replacing magnets
and making your own furniture is the next hot hobby (replacing knitting)
Adv Entrepot, 645 Wellington St. at McGill St. Phone: 514-866-5580. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. http://www.adv-imports.com You just never know when you will bump into a place where you’ll find deals. This one, in an old building in Old Montreal, has all kinds of inexpensive (as low as $1-$7) home accessories which were samples, seconds or ends-of-lines. Expect to find lots of cushions, rugs, planters, wrought iron things, fireplace screens, bath accessories, rugs, curtains, table linens and candles.
Warshaw Maison, 145 Atwater Ave. at St. Ambroise St. Phone: 514-933-2250. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. When Warshaw was uprooted from the Main it re-planted itself facing the Atwater Market. In this re-incarnation it concentrates on kitchen and household items (trays, frames, gadgets, cutting boards, baking dishes, table linens, bamboo mats, place mats, shower curtains, bathroom accessories, area rugs and runners, fondue pots and candles). Dinner sets for four can be as low as $12.99 and go up to $79.99, but there’s also lots of mix and match possibilities and tons of white dishes in all shapes, including square, rectangle and star. For your windows, curtain panels start at $6.99 and go up to only $19.99, and there’s always lots to choose from. If you see it here and like it, grab it, because it most likely won’t be here next week. Prices are kept low, since they buy liquidation deals and pass the savings on to you. There is a plant section in the store with oddities like Venus flytrap, lucky bamboo, money trees and ginkgo biloba. Other smaller location: Cote des Neiges Plaza.
DixVersions Depot, 8530 De l’Esplanade Ave. at the corner of De Liege St. Phone: 514-745-3610. Hours: Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m, Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you pined for the furnishings in the DixVersions stores but couldn’t afford them, everything in this store is from there but discounted significantly. The accessories are 50% of what they sold for in the store and furniture is 30% to 70% off. This is the best part – they then take an additional 20% off here. Expect to find furniture, lamps, tables, vases, sofas, shower curtains, stools, rugs, desks, mirrors, etc. This is a temporary location which could be closed by November – or not.