Q: I have bought your books in the past and read your newspaper articles. We finished renovating our basement and we have medium size walk in closet that needs shelving, rods to hang clothes and shoe rack. Do you know of a reasonable handyman that does this type of work or specializes in this. Thank you very much and have a healthy summer. You are very informative for people on a budget.

A: You might try Arrange Spaces Tel: 514-339-1111 or Glenn Robertson Closet Design  Tel: 514-425-6738

Tissus Dores has moved down the street. They always sold interesting fabrics: 110″ wide plus for making sheets, duvets, comforters and curtains (sheers and voiles).

Green shoppers will be happy to find organic cotton sheeting 104″ in natural color, of course, and bamboo sheeting in white, ivory and colors.

There’s cloth for tablecloths, upholstery fabrics, nylon netting, cheesecloth, canvas for artwork and even black-out fabric.

If you need it: rainproof goods, twills and drills for work are stocked along with the usual cotton/polyesters, 100% cotton, nylons and even synthetic furs. There’s remnant bins and mirrors, pillows, curtain panels and rods and low stools.

Location: 160 St-Viateur (outside)
corner: Casgrain
Tel: 514-272-5314
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat 9-12

Bass Pro Shops, is a grown man’s candy store. They have announced that  they will be opening an outdoor superstore at Lac Mirabel. The store will offer outdoor enthusiasts 3 acres of shopping for equipment and clothing for hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, backpacking, wildlife viewing, camping, outdoor cooking and more. A gift and nature center will also serve up a wide variety of outdoor-related items from lamps and dishes to bird feeders and furniture.

As well, an expansive boat showroom will feature Tracker, Nitro, SunTracker, Grizzly, and Tahoe boats and a boat service center will also be available.

At the Bass Pro shops I have been in, the decor is to take the outdoors and bring it indoors. The lobby could be a massive log and rock room made to feel like a hunting lodge. You can immerse yourself in departments for: fishing (rods, reels, lures), fly fishing (Penn, Shimano, G-Loomis), hunting (from camo to ammo), golf (try it out on the driving net or putting green), boating, archery (indoor range), camping, a footwear department and an indoor boat show.

The rest of the family might be able to enjoy a waterfall, aquarium, trout pool, an indoor shooting range, wildlife exhibits and historic photos and memorabilia. Some of the stores have a fresh fish market and fish  restaurant.

Q1: You wanted to talk today about different places you have found to buy home furniture…

In the Fall people start looking at the insides of their homes again and nesting instincts make them want to re-fresh the places they will be spending a lot of time in the coming  colder months. Some new stores have opened up selling both modern and traditional furniture… for less.

Q2: Ordering furniture can be frustrating as we usually have to wait for months for it to arrive.

Yes furniture is literally usually on a slow boat from China. Also, Ikea has ruined us for the “I want it now” generation. This group is so used to immediacy both there and on the net. At the stores I found recently, you  can get it the merchandise quickly.

Q3: Okay let’s get into the nitty gritty, what do you have for modern furniture?

If you’ve ever yearned to own an Eames chair or a Philippe Starck, Arnie Jacobsen, Hans Wegner, Karim Rashid, Mies van de Rohe, Ronarad, or a Le Corbusier piece of furniture, but it was out of your price league, drop everything and run over to Barami,, a 20,000 sq. ft showroom in the heart of trendy Old Montreal.

In its 3 floors you can buy high end “interpretations” of their designer styles in couches, tables, lighting (Artimede, Flos,  Castiglione lamp), beds, office chairs and paintings. You might find a classic chesterfield with a modern twist – studded with pink rhinestones, or an antique-chic Louis XVth chair upholstered with Warhol-esque insignia.

About 60% of what you see is available within 2 weeks and the other 40% in at least 6 weeks.

Location: 404 St-Jacques West
corner: McGill College
Phone: 514-849-5000
Hours: Mon-Wed 10-6, Thurs & Fri 10-7, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5
www.baramifurniture.com

I’m thinking that you haven’t even heard of JYSK which started in 1979 in Denmark and is present in 33 countries, with almost 1,600 stores. Basic furniture needs are here: beds (bunk ones, too $169), cupboards, desks and chairs, futons and sleeping couches. Accessories to jazz up your home might be rattan baskets, duvets (feather or not), curtains and rods, shower curtains, seat cushions ($4.99) or candles.

You might bump into a bag of guest slippers (5 pairs/9.99), travel pillows ($3.99) or pet clothing. Regulars know there are secret in-store sales, and they (plus family and friends) get invited to regular evening sales. where prices can be 20% less than sale prices.

Location: 950 boul. le Courbusier
corner: Boul. Souvenir
Phone: 450-902-0314
Hours: Regular plus Sun 10-5
Other location: Brossard, Quartier Dix30 (450-443-6555)
www.jysk.ca

Q4: If someone likes more traditional lines of furniture, do you have any suggestions of where they might shop?

The Prillo furniture company finally opened up two large liquidation spaces where they sell off their traditional lines of couches, arm chairs, dining rooms sets (chairs started at $39), side tables, wall units and grandfather clocks. Follow the yellow stairs up to the bedrooms, bureaus and mattresses.

Location: 3400 Cremazie est
corner: 14th Ave
Phone: 514-722-1890
Hours: Regular plus Sun 10-5
Other liquidation location: 501 Harwood, Vaudreuil-Dorion (450-455-9299)
www.prillo.ca

When furniture is not sold at the regular Stacaro stores, it winds up here at this outlet, to be sold at reduced prices. The lines are more traditional, new reproductions made in Europe, Holland, France, Spain, U.S. and yes, China too. Constructed of oak or cherry with lots of leather pieces, there’s wall units, desks, sofas, tables and chairs, sideboards and dressers.

Location: 1604 Notre-Dame West
corner: Guy
Phone: 514-904-2909
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5
www.stacaro.com

Q1: Why is it, when Spring hits, that the Great Cleaning Moment happens?

With Spring here our nesting instincts kick in. I don’t know if it’s strictly a female thing, but women do get sudden urges to throw out, spruce up, scrub and shine their abodes just around now. Maybe I’m being sexist, but you don’t exactly hear about guys dying to clean out their garages or workshops though.

Q2: Just how far back does this go, is there a historical connection?

Yes, there at least one connection to both Passover and Easter which happen around this time. For Passover there’s ritual of cleaning every bit of dirt and dust in the house and cleaning out your kitchen food cupboards is done as well. For Easter, it’s traditional to buy new clothes – just like the birds getting their new Spring feathers. In my home town, New York City, there is an Easter Parade up 5th Avenue where everyone turns out in their finest with Easter bonnets too.

Q3: Let’s bring this back home, just how are we sprucing up?

In the home, it is traditional for some ethnic groups to buy new bedding at this time of year. With the whole new home renovation show craze, people are running out to recreate those color coordinated rooms. The least expensive way to give rooms a whole new look (besides painting), is to change the comforter (or duvet), the sheets, curtains and throw pillows (and don’t forget the mattress covers for those nasty little dust mites).

Q4: With sheets, we keep hearing thread count numbers relating to percale. What do the numbers mean and what should we be buying?

It’s become very confusing. First it was 180 percale then 200, 300 and now we’re hearing thread count numbers in the 1000’s. They relate to the number of threads but they don’t have a meaning the average person could fathom because it could be double or tripled yarns, and the lushness has to do with the twists in the thread too. So what do I say to all this? Feel the sheets. If they have a smooth silky feel that you like, buy them. If they feel rough and scratchy, no matter how many washings they get, they’ll still feel rough and scratchy.

Q5: All this could get expensive if we didn’t know where to get the deals. So I’m leaving that up to you to find them for us.

We are lucky that some linen and bedding manufacturers have decided to sell off their overstocked clearances to the public on a regular basis. When was the last time you bought yourself a fluffy new bed pillow? I know where you could buy one for $5.

Universal /Maison Condelle/Merimack Manufacturer’s Outlet has set up two places for overstocked items at rock bottom prices. In boxes neatly lined up in rows, with most prices marked, you can find: double comforters $20-25 or a queen for $25-30, twin comforter sets (shams and cases) for $20, queen jacquard sets $40 and up, and percale queen sheet sets $25, synthetic duvets $34.99, curtains $5 & up, mattress pads $10 -$15 and only $5 for decorative pillows. There’s curtain rods too.

Location: 9399 St. Laurent Blvd.
Corner: Louvain St.
Phone: (514) 383-7803
Hours:  Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m
Other location: 5805 des Grandes Prairies (514-329-0115).

Espace Home Fashions is a bedding manufacturer who has been open since 1983> here you can buy duvet covers, bedspreads, comforters, non-allergenic pillows, mattress covers and “mink” blankets. Look for sheets sets in 100% cotton and 50/50 cotton polyester, towels, shower and living room curtains, throw pillows and tablecloths. Don’t forget to look for the door to the factory and go in to find lots more.

Location: 160 St Viateur
Corner: Casgrain
Phone: 514-273-3318
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-4, Sat 8:30-11:30

For the past 30 years, Liquideco.com has been a bedding manufacturer who has been selling off overstocked products to retail customers in the know. To find out when they are, ads placed in local ethnic newspapers (Greek, Italian, etc.) and now you can look online, or you can call the number above and ask.

The large warehouse space offers up amazing prices like: comforters (all sizes) $15, 4-pc. bedding queen set $45, twin sheets with curtains $40, 4-pc. jacquard queen cover set $35, 10–pc. jacquard queen set $79, twin sheet sets $10, pillow covers $7-$10, mattress covers twin 2/$25, carpet runners $10, throws $8 & $10, drapes, curtain panels, rods ($3 -$25), dishcloths 6/$4, table cloths (52″X70″) or $8 for throw pillows.

Location: 120 Louvain
Corner: Boul. St-Laurent
Phone: 514- 384-8290
Hours:  Every 3 or 4 weeks, on  Fri  11-6 and & Sat 8-1
Date of next sale: May 7 & 8
www.liquideco.com