With some downtime this summer, you might be planning  some home re-decorating or an arts and crafts project. When you are searching for the fabrics that you need, you can now search online at a Montreal fabric vendor, Tonitex.

You can find your answers right here at home, in the Chabanel area, at Tonitex, where they sell polar fleece, denim, fake fur, plush, cotton prints, nylon, jogging fleece, broadcloth, lycra, flannel, cotton twills and outerwear fabric to the nearby manufacturers and to you too.

Around for over 30 years, you will always find  a lot of  printed cotton sheeting from top brands like Spectrix, Michael Miller, Baum, Andover, Fabri-quilt and many more brands at discount prices.

The huge space is filled to the ceiling with giant fabric rolls accessed by ladders.  Look for the coupon bins sold by the kilo – when buying remnants you can save even more money.

Location: 9630 Boul. St-Laurent, Montreal H2N 1R1
corner: Louvain
Tel: 514-389-8293
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30-5, Sat 9-4
Website www.tonitex.com
To view their new products, have a look at: http://bit.ly/1oWpPiC

Q: Do you know of any where that would fix the cords on window blinds?

A: Fenetre Deco on my website www.smart shopppingmontreal.com is the answer. They can do repairs on blinds and can even re-size some of them if you change your windows. You can call for a consultation.

This company does ultrasonic cleaning and repairs of all types of blinds, from 1″ aluminum horizontals to the higher end Silhouettes and Luminettes.

The blinds are placed with a cleaning solution in large water-filled tanks, which use vibrating sound waves to loosen the dirt. Prices start at $15 per blind, and there is a minimum of $75 for a service call.

They also sell many types of blinds and drapery and provide shop-at-home service for Hunter Douglas, Shad-o-matic, Sol’r, Levolor, wooden shutters, roller shades Altex, etc.  He now sells those easy-to-use motorized blinds.

Location:  214A Ronald Dr. Montreal-West, Quebec, H4X 1M8
Tel: 514-364-2020
Business Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
Email: info@fenetredeco.com
fenetredeco.com

Montreal’s real estate mark is hot right now. If you are planning to buy a property, don’t forget to hire a proper building inspector. You want one who is well trained and a well known expert in the field. After all, this is one of the most expensive things you will ever buy.

Morris Charney is good at finding defects. He does all kinds of buildings from single-family homes or or condos as well as commercial and industrial buildings. Charney’s building inspections are so thorough, that he sometimes scares real estate brokers.

Consumers don’t realize that the “new” Civil Code of Québec [1994] deregulated building inspections so that anyone has a right to do them – even the purchasers themselves. The only stipulations are that it be done in a “prudent and diligent” manner, “without the need of expert assistance”. Those are very loose terms for something so important.

Most inspectors when they find a defect will refer the matter to an expert. Mr. Charney is an expert, a member of two Québec Orders – ­ professional (practicing) architect and city planner.  He is a member of IHINA (Independent Home Inspectors of North America) based in Boston ­ and he happens to be a Harvard graduate.

Typical pre-purchase inspections run about $1500 + tax for a verbal report or you can buy a written one. Reference is made to current and past building codes. All reports are customized narratives, not computer-generated checklists -­ just the defects, clearly explained. The information provided in both the verbal and written reports are the same.

His practice has included renovating many homes, offices and stores so he has a good idea of what things cost. You can check out his LinkedIn site which contains numerous up to date posts regarding typical defects that have been discovered.

Charney believes that a purchaser has the right to be properly informed of what it is they are buying.

Tel: 514-937-5100
Hours: by appointment
www.morrischarneyinspections.com, www.morrischarneyinspectionsfr.com
mcharney@videotron.ca

Would you sleep on the same sheets for 6 months? So why haven’t you ever had your pillow cleaned? Bellingham Cleaners and Tailors will sanitize, deodorize, clean, and fluff you pillow – and – replace the cover.

Take time to take a look around the house to see what needs some freshening up. So if you would like to clean your drapes, window coverings , pillows or duvets –  think Bellingham Cleaners and Tailors. Is it too difficult to remove and rehang your drapes and window coverings? They’ll send someone to do it for you so you can send them in for a cleaning along with the bedding and decorative cushions

No time for laundry? For busy people, they offer a wash and fold service. Whites and coloured items are washed separately – and – independently of other peoples’ clothes. There’s free pick up and delivery. The minimum order is for 10 lbs. Their Bates Rd. location even has Quebec’s first drive-thru service and a 24-hour night deposit box using VIP bags.

Their Deluxe Service handles delicate garments individually:

* garments individually cleaned in virgin solvent
* buttons are removed to prevent damage
* items are hand-pressed,
* double inspection procedure
* garments are stuffed with tissue paper to preserve their form

– For garment repairs (even suede and leather), every day there are seamstresses and a changing room, so quick fixes can be sewn while you wait.
– Home or office pick-up service is available over most of the island.
– Bellingham Cleaners are the only cleaners in the province of Quebec who are certified by the worldwide Association of Wedding Gown Specialists.

TMR Location: 2655 Bates Rd, Montreal , plus pickup/delivery service
corner: Wilderton
Tel: 514-733-4444
Hours: Mon-Wed 7:30-6:30, Thurs & Fri 7:30-7, Sat 8-5, Sun 11-5
www.smartshoppingmontreal.com/store.php?s=167

Closets by Design was here way before Marie Kondo was organizing us.  Simplifying your life is what they have always done. And til the end of June you can get 40% off and $250 worth of accessories.

For a complimentary design consultation, just contact Closets by Design and they will send a talented designer directly to your home. The experts will take detailed measurements and will explore endless storage possibilities with you. They’ll guide you to the best choices possible taking into consideration your budget, style and preferences.

They design, build and install custom closets, garage cabinets, home offices, laundry rooms, pantries. Once your system is designed, the work will begin at their state-of-the-art facilities. Each unit is built to your specifications and a professional team will install the units quickly and neatly. With their wide selection of finishes, accessories and hardware, you will get the customized look you have always dreamed of.

For a complimentary design consultation, just contact Closets by Design and they will send a talented designer directly to your home. The experts will take detailed measurements and will explore endless storage possibilities with you. They’ll guide you to the best choices possible taking into consideration your budget, style and preferences. Once your system is designed, the work will begin at their state-of-the-art facilities. Each unit is built to your specifications and a professional team will install the units quickly and neatly.

– Custom Closets: Each variety of closet systems will maximize your space and create a closet which helps organize not only your clothes, but also your life.

– Garage Cabinets: Think about transforming your garage into your workshop, garden center or arts and crafts room – all with plenty of storage space.

– Home Offices: Closets by Design created a line of innovative and effective office systems in a variety of styles and finishes to match your unique needs.

– Wallbeds: Maximize the use of your space with a foldaway designbedT system. Customizable, multi-functional and ideal for small spaces, designbedT offers a creative space-saving solution for any home.

– Laundry Rooms: There are numerous options to organize this room better, including long and short shelving, a variety of places to store cleaning supplies and items to compliment your laundry room needs.

– Pantries: The value of quick access to items in your kitchen is priceless, making meal prep quick and efficient. Their attractive pantries are developed to streamline cooking and cleaning with easy-to-reach shelves for easy-to-find items.

Closets by Design has built a reputation for integrity as an industry leader in customer service and satisfaction. They strive for and build quality, beauty, and commitment into each piece constructed and can easily meet everyone’s different household budgets.

Location: 4747, rue Bourg , Saint-Laurent, QC H4T 1H9
corner: Off of Montee de Liesse
Tel: 514 – 631-6777
Hours: Mon – Fri 9-5
Sale: Til June 30th
www.cbdmontreal.com
info@cbdmontreal.com

It’s time to fling open the windows and re-dress your bed and bath.  At Liquideco‘s fab sales you can save 80% off the necessities you would need to spruce up your home.

Location: 8566 Boul. Pie-IX – Click for map 
corner: Boul. Robert
Dates: May 24 & 25
Times: Fri 10-6, Sat 8-3
www.liquideco.com

These days it is harder to find special dressy outfits for parties, communion, confirmation or baptism. Lingerie Pina & Carmelo Sacco, the go-to place for generations, is still the place to go.

If you have a wedding planned this year, the Mother of the Bride could find an outfit, the bridal party too and you can even get bonbonnieres made-to-order and wrapped.  They offer a Bridal Registry and there are gifts galore.

The name  clearly does not define this family business as you’ll find and housewares galore: silverware, china, toasters and meat slicers. If you are looking for ecological cookware, they sell Cool Kitchen which has no PTFE, no PFOA and can be used for induction cooking. The Italian community knows to come here for Pizzel machines for cookies and Cavetelli machines for gnocchi, Those who like collectibles will find: Precious Moments, Walt Disney Collection and Disney Traditions by Jim Shore.

Designers are here to help you with curtains (free installation), and they have the exclusive Hunter Douglas Alustra line with copper and chrome headers. If you need them, there’s carpet runners by the yard.

Do you know where else to buy housecoats or cotton handkerchiefs?

Location: 8365 boul. Viau, St-Leonard QC H1R 2T6
corner: boul. Robert
Tel: 514-323-0427
Hours: Mon-Wed 9-6, Thurs & Fri 9-7:30, Sat 9-5. Open Sunday 10-5 from Labor Day – June 1st

Even if you have a washer and dryer at home, there are still times you might need Lavoir Victoria – for spring cleaning, putting winter clothes away, when the kids come back from camp, getting ready for big holidays or if your machine at home suddenly breaks down. Lavoir Victoria, located in Montreal has 5 different sizes of washing machines available as well as a large number of full sized dryers.

Here are some ideas of when you might need the cleaning facilities of this laundromat:

– Camping equipment: blankets, comforters, sleeping bags
– Washable curtains
– Winter clothing: heavy parkas, ski pants, long coats
– Large comforters, blankets or washable duvets and duvet covers
– Refreshing pillows
– Slipcovers for couches

Lavoir Victoria has Maytag top-load washers along with Wascomat front-load washers, which are considered some of the best in the world. A regular cycle in these professional machines comprises 2 washes and 3 rinses, which means five complete water changes to ensure the cleanest wash possible. These are available in 20 lb., 30 lb., 40 lb. and the 55 lb. size, which is great for giant loads – could be used for sleeping bags, couch covers, comforters and other large items.

Unlike most facilities, Lavoir Victoria (Montreal Laundromat) has friendly staff who will do your complete laundry –wash and fold. If you’re there to do it yourself, the full time staff available can advise and and assist you.

Montreal is lucky to have a friendly, helpful, long-serving laundromat family in our midst.

Location: Lavoir Victoria – 5950 ave Victoria Montreal QC H3W 2R8
corner:
Hours:  Sun-Fri 7-7, Sat 5-7
www.montreallaundromat.com

Spring is finally in the air so its a good time to think about renewing your bathroom. Whether you’re planning on a complete bathroom reno or would like to update your old one with some new bathroom furniture, Golden Elite can help you with the furnishings of your dreams – for less.

Whether your looking for traditional floor vanities or you want to maximize the space in your bathroom with a double or single sink wall-hung vanity, Golden Elite has the selection to match every style (modern, classic or rustic) and budget, and this month all the vanities are on sale.

Golden Elite Deco Center, a distributor and manufacturer of wooden flooring and vanities, offers over 300 bathroom products, all in stock, in three locations including the West-Island, Laval, and South Shore. The showroom features flooring, doors, vanities, kitchens, tiles (mosaic tiles, marble tiles and decking tiles) and adhesives selling at warehouse prices that can’t be beat.

Their website is chock full of ideas with very concise details about sizing, colors and prices. Here it is easy to check out their selection of vanities, counter tops, and flooring too. You can just about shop from home and then select the store where you would like to see and then purchase your merchandise.

Special Offer: Save 25% matching accessories with the purchase of a vanity set.

Locations: 88 Brunswick Blvd, DDO; St-Hubert: 3929 boul. Taschereau, Fabreville: 515 boul Curee-Labelle H7P 2P5
corner: (DDO location): rue Tecumseh
Tel: DDO: 514-243-8860 or 888-MGA-8844; St-Hubert: 450-486-3929 or 438-396-4143
Hours: Mon-Wed 8-6, Thurs & Fri 8-8, Sat & Sun 10-5
www.goldenelitedeco.com

There’s something wonderful about the smell of fresh coffee brewing. Coffee aficionados won’t settle for good coffee when it could be great and it’s the coffee beans which creates the biggest effect on flavor. This is where Cafe Union comes in. Since they have been in the coffee business for over 100 years they know coffee.  This family business is always at the forefront of importing a diverse variety of beans to roast and blend and then to sell it to Montreal consumers and restaurants.

Their focus has been on the coffee bean, and roasting technique and especially the customized blends for customers in order to produce that perfect individual taste. That’s where you come in. So you get to work with them to blend your own flavor profile. Wow.

Beans are imported from many countries, and each one is roasted based on their roasting profile in order to reach their optimal taste when ground and brewed, a process that is exclusive to each bean. And the expertise of the team at Cafe Union ensure that the end result is a bean that yields a cup of coffee that is rich and flavorful, and reflects the delicious taste the bean was meant to give.

Cafe Union offers unique coffee beans from all over the globe, and also have an impressive assortment of Union Specialty Blends including their Joe Beef Montreal blend. They also offer a selection of Fairtrade and Biocertified beans.

They sell espresso machines (Gaggia, Saeco, Rancilio, Pavoni, Mokita, Breville, Quick Mill and Jura) and teapots, too. This location also features a repair depot. Any commercial or domestic espresso machine by Gaggia, Rancilio, Pavoni, Saeco, Mokita, Jura or Quick Mill can be brought here for overhauls and servicing.

Go in in person and enjoy a fresh cup at the counter or check out their convenient order online service.

Location: 148 rue Jean Talon O, Montreal QC H2R 2X1
corner: rue Waverly
Hours: Mon-Fri 8-5:30, Sat 9-4
Metro: Station Jean-Talon/Station de Castelnau
Tel: 514 273 5555
cafeunion.com
info@cafeunion.com