Fall leads us back into our homes again. When you start to think about refreshing your decor, why not start with your accessories. A change of lampshades could make your room look so different.

Abat-Jour Illimités is  a shop with one of the largest selections of lampshades in Canada, sourced from across Europe, Asia, the US and Canada. They specialize in finding solutions within your budget. You have the option of shopping here in town or head north into Laval.

Bring in your base when you come here and then you can choose from amongst the 5,000 shades in this store at prices from $20 to $3,000. If you can’t find it among the parchment, silk, linen, or artistic hand-painted models, you can have one made-to-order. Look for the display of interesting finials, and on-site repair is available.

– When you bring your base in to the store, their consultants will guide you towards the ideal shape and fabric for your lamp.
– If you want to cover a lampshade, they will show you a vast choice of fabrics (or bring your own) to complement your lamp base.
– – If you have a specific project idea in mind, bring them a sketch, and  they will help you work out the practical details to make your lampshade into a reality.
– If you have a project that is institutional or commercial in scope, several or many, small or over-sized, they can custom-make them for you.

The experienced consultants will find the perfect lampshade, guided by your personal taste as well as your budget.

Location: 4875 Jean Talon St W. Montreal QC H4P 1W7 OR 2267 boul Le Corbusier, Laval H7S 1Z4 (450-682-8280)
corner: Victoria
Tel: 514-344-8555
Hours Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 9-5
www.abatjourillimites.ca
abatjour@bellnet.ca

It’s time to take a look inside your home and freshen it up for all the time you will soon be spending inside. So if you would like to clean your drapes, window coverings , pillows or duvets –  think Bellingham Cleaners and Tailors.

No time for laundry? For busy people, they offer a wash and fold service for $1.50 lb. 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.

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

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
corner: Wilderton
Tel: 514-733-4444
Hours: Mon-Wed 7:30-6:30, Thurs & Fri 7:30-7, Sat 8-5, Sun 11-5
Westmount location: 1 Westmount Square
Tel: 514-934-3353
Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-6, Sat 9-5
www.smartshoppingmontreal.com/store.php?s=167

The state of your tires is one of the things that might save your life in a quick stop situation. Make sure the ones you have are good enough.

Talon Tire is an independent tire dealer which has been in business since 1971, and specialize in quality tires for passenger cars, SUV’s, vans and light trucks. It is one of the few tire shops that has been approved by the consumer watchdog organization, the Automobile Protection Association.

They are not just order takers – their staff has knowledge of a wide range of tire applications, and monitors the latest technological developments and trends in tire manufacturing. They can answer and questions about tires to help you make the right choice.

Some of the good reasons to buy your tires from them:

– Wheels are fastened on your car by first hand-threading the nuts and then hand-torquing them to manufacturer’s specifications. When needed, you will be able to remove the wheels without frustration – No warped brake rotors or stripped threads or marred wheels.

– Even if they install only one tire, they check and adjust all your tire pressures.

– Their repairs on flats are permanent and safe, since they use only quality chemical patches applied from the inside of the tire. Repairs done from the outside, without inspecting for internal damage, are only temporary, and can result in an eventual blowout.

– Their tire and wheel balancing is state-of-the-art. It’s so uniquely accurate that consumers residing several hundred kilometers away go there to resolve their vibration complaints and leave with a smooth comfortable ride.

– Your “Mag” wheels are safe with them, as they use only the highest quality nylon-coated balancing weights. They won’t change the plastic finish of your wheels or cause corrosion like regular lead weights.

Special tires can be bought here too. Talon Tire sponsors and supports grass roots Motorsports in Canada, and offer a wide range of competition tires. To help keep a cherished classic car on the road they stock over 20 sizes of hard-to-find vintage tires.

– There is no commission, so their staff won’t propose a more profitable tire when it’s not the right choice.
– There are no hidden extras in their price.
– Their road hazard guarantee provides a replacement tire based on the price you paid, and NOT on a higher suggested retail price which increases every year with inflation.

They offer a two month or 1,500 mile / 2,000 kilometer free trial period for every tire that they recommend for your car and driving needs. If you don’t like them, they’ll refund you 100% of the purchase price.

Talon Tire makes buying the right set of tires easy.

Location: 2607 Diab St. Ville St-Laurent, QC H4S 1E7
corner: rue Bois Franc
Tel: 514-337-0833
Hours: Mon-Fri 8-6
http://www.talontire.com/

From the traditional to the contemporary, Verti Store carries a vast array of blinds and draperies that suit every taste, every window size and every budget. Stop by one of their 5 locations, plus an additional location in Florida or call in to take advantage of their completely free and no obligation shop-at-home service. For the same pricing as in store, you can shop in the comfort of your own home with the help of their decorating consultants.

Right now they are having a mega sale which is 50% off all made-to-measure blinds

This window-covering mecca will amaze you with 10,000 sq. ft. of  displays of custom made PVC, aluminum, wood and faux wood vertical and horizontal blinds; beautiful shutters; panel tracks; roman, pleated, cellular or roller shades and affordable draperies and drapery hardware.  Expect to find major brands here: Altex, Shade-o-matic, Levolor, Elite, Vantage.

They also offer many in-stock versions of the above products as well as over 1,000 rolls of fabric to choose from.

Verti Store has been serving their customers for over 30 years, providing them with the most competitive pricing possible. Whether you’re working with a restricted budget or sky-is-the-limit funds, Verti Store’s wealth of choice and experienced staff can turn any house into a beautiful home.

 

Fenetre Deco 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, Altex, wooden and PVC shutters, Sohji panels, roller shades, etc.

Tel: 514-364-2020
Hours: by appt
www.fenetredeco.com
Email: info@fenetredeco.com

Before you tuck away all those scruffy, winter-worn boots and shoes, think about taking them over to an amazing shoemaker at Cordonnerie Place Rosemere who can make them look new again.

His skills were learned from an uncle who was a master shoemaker for 28 years. The uncle taught him not only how to repair all kinds of shoes but also how to fix vintage bags, rips from dog bites and broken heels making them all look virtually brand new. Shiny slippery leather soles can be made safer and last longer when he improves them by making them non-slip.

You can have your high heels raised or lowered here, purses can be repaired, bags, jackets and shoes can be re-dyed and boots that are too wide can be put on a diet.

This skilled repairman can do the master work required on really high end shoes – Louboutin, Jimmy Choos, Stuart Weitzman, Chanel, Salvatore Ferragano and Gucci. He can, of course, fix your regular brands too.

Products for shoe maintenance can be found on the shelves as well as non-slip grips for traction, worn on the bottom of your shoes – this is Canada after all.

Nothing says you’re special better than a forever piece of golden jewelry. Mom will appreciate your money savvy if you know where to go – head for a jewelry wholesaler.

You can pay full price for gold jewelry in full-price retail stores downtown or you can go up to Bijouterie Oro, a wholesaler, and save half your money. Since 1987, this 3rd generation jeweler has been selling wholesale, and is open up to the public. Lucky us.

There is lots of golden stock to choose amongst, more than you would see in your small local jewelry store. You could go nutsy over the vast assortment of gold hoop earrings – they sell them by weight. You can select amongst the 100’s of chains; they are strong in 2-tone and 3-colors of gold from Italy or Turkey. There’s 14-carat Italian chain bracelets too, and lots of little religious pendants.

If you want to buy illusion diamond studs, they have those too. These earrings give the illusion of a whole stone, but are made up of little ones – for a much littler price.

If you have an older diamond (or any other precious stone) ring and you’d like to change it into something more modern, they can show you trays and trays of semi-mounts (that’s what your stone sits in), so you can see exactly what the ring will look like – it can even be tried on. You can take jewelry which has been just sitting in a jewelry box and have it re-modeled.

Bijouterie Oro still does local manufacturing, so they can reproduce a piece of jewelry from a photo. And they can repair your broken jewelry too.

If you decide to have something made from scratch, it would take only two weeks from the time you walk in the door until you happily present it to Mom.

Location: 1255 Phillips Square, Suite 1010
Tel: 514-393-1721 or 514-575-7511
Hours: by appointment only, Mon-Fri 9-4:30
orojewelleryinc@gmail.com
www.smartshoppingmontreal.com/store.php?s=280

Q: Where can I find Espresso Powder ??

A: Try Cafe Union, http://smartshoppingmontreal.com/store.php?s=19 or one of the coffee suppliers in my Smart Shopping Montreal book, on page 179.

At Cafe Union, ask them to grind the coffee beans to make a fine powder for you.

Made-to-measure coffee has brought java lovers to Cafe Union, a Montreal institution since 1910. This wholesaler roasts the coffee right here, so you can choose one or a custom blend from amongst the espresso, melange maison (regular and strong), french press, Kenya, Panama, Columbia Supremo, Fair Trade, decaf and Swiss washed decaf.

Those who like flavors can buy Bavarian chocolate, Irish cream or hazelnut vanilla or one of the 30 flavored syrups (vanilla, hazelnut, caramel, etc.) to add in. Drink products like iced cappuccino, chai latte concentrate, Twinings teas and Mighty Leaf tisanes now line the shelves. Free delivery is offered for 5 pounds or more.

They sell espresso machines (Saeco, Gaggia, Rancilio, Pavoni, Breville, Quick Mill, Jura, La Spaziale) and teapots, too. Repairs to these machines are available.

Location:148 Jean-Talon Ouest
corner: Waverly
Tel: 514-273-5555
Hours: Mon-Fri 8-5:30, Sat 9-4
www.cafe-union.com

Q: Could you recommend a good place for cleaning a good quality leather purse as well as some leather sandals? I’m afraid to take them to just anyone, I want the job to be done by reliable professionals. I would appreciate your recommendations very much. Thank you.

A: Cordonnerie Place Rosemere is your man. It’s on my web site. This skilled repairmen has mastered the work needed on really high end shoes – Louboutin, Jimmy Choos, Stuart Weitzman, Chanel, Salvatore Ferragano and Gucci but he can of course fix your regular brands too.

His skills were learned from an uncle who was a master shoemaker. He was taught how to fix vintage bags, rips from dog bites and broken heels making them all look virtually brand new.

Take a peek to see what he does: http://smartshoppingmontreal.com/store.php?s=199

Q: I have an Ikea corner couch.  The slipcovers are white and want to have them dyed.  Have tried to research where to have this done without results. Can you advise me of anywhere I can have this done?

A: If you had looking in my Smart Shopping Montreal book, you would have found an answer on page 156: Nettoyerur Vitalizing Cleaners, 921 Mont-Royal est. Here’s what I wrote:” Places to dye fabric are hard to find. This one will only work on 100% cotton garments like jeans, sweaters, shirts and coats. If there are any discolorations in the fabric, the only color that will dye evenly is black. Be aware that some threads won’t take the dye and there also might be a teeny bit of shrinkage.”

If that doesn’t work, here’s what a fan had to say about a master craftsman from my Smart Shopping Montreal book who makes new slipcovers:

“We contacted Mr. Colin Hynes of Four Season Slip Covers in St-Lambert (450-465-0650). He came and was undaunted by the behemoth. He had fabric samples, one of which suited us perfectly, he gave us two estimates according to how he would attack the project, he did not try and influence us toward the more expensive one, and, generally speaking, I was impressed with his professionalism. When he returned to put the cover on the couch it was a pleasure to watch him because he is a true craftsman, and craftsmen are hard to find nowadays. The couch again reigns supreme in our living room and is probably good for another 30 years.

The words that come to mind when I think of Mr Hynes is professional, a craftsman, integrity.

And so we are grateful to you for the information you published in your Smart Shopping book and site.”

Tel: 450-465-0650