327 Queen St. East, between Parliament and Berkley streets, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA. 416.778.6608. email: info@ethel20thcenturyliving.com
Hours: Mondays by appointment, Tue - Thurs: 12pm - 6pm, Friday: 2pm - 7pm, Sat: 12 - 6, Sun: 12pm - 5pm

2.29.2012

New Atomic Ranch is here!


Despite the snow today, spring is around the corner. How do we know? We just got the new Spring 2012 issue of Atomic Ranch in!
Featuring stories on houses in Missouri, Montana and Santa Monica, a profile on Danish designer Nanna Ditzel, and DIY instructions on making a mid-mod bed for your pooch, this issue, as always is filled with lots of vintage modern goodies!
We also have a few issues left of the latest Modernism Magazine, so drop by the store and pick it up before we're sold out.
See you at the store!

2.28.2012

Lions and Tigers and Bears...Oh My!

We all know how much Ethel loves animals. While we no longer have a store cat (she moved with the architecture firm when they moved out of our back room to their new digs), we do love having a menagerie of sorts here at the store. These animals don’t shed, and don’t need to be fed!


Who doesn’t love kitschy 50’s poodles? This vintage painted metal tissue box cover and spare toilet role holder are perfect for your fluffy pink powder room. Oooh la la!

Poodle theme bathroom set is $30

UPDATE: Poodle theme bathroom set has sold!



How about this pair of vintage desk organizers? This wire kitty and puppy keep your letters and papers neat and tidy, and they won’t beg for treats.

Desk organizers are $15 each

UPDATE: Kitty desk organizer has sold!



We’re not sure if antelope and rams would be friends or foes in the wild, but this pair of Art Deco style 1970‘s Studio Nova ceramic figures look like they’re best friends.

Figures are $15 each



This flying goose TV lamp looks like it’s about to take flight over the Blue Mountains. No, it’s not Blue Mountain Pottery, but a rare McCoy pottery TV lamp. Perfect for that retro man-cave.

Goose TV lamp is $45


This stemmed mod rooster jar is too small to hold cornflakes, but it looks better empty anyway!

Rooster jar is $12

UPDATE: Rooster jar has sold!


If fantasy animals are more your style, catch up on whats happening on The Planet of the Apes with this vintage comic book. Scarier than the movie!

Comic book is $6

UPDATE: Comic books have all sold!



How about a trip to the circus? This set of 7 vintage Libbey Carousel glasses from the 1950‘s are $6 each. Featuring tigers, elephants, horses, leopards and deers in frothy pastels, this set is perfect for iced tea with Dr. Dolittle!

Glasses are $6 each
UPDATE: only one glass left!


How about a set of vintage puzzle postcards? Each features vintage wildlife scenes, including a circus lady with her parrots. So much more fun than email!

Each set of 3 is only $2 each


Come by the store to see what other animals we have hanging around. Who knows, you may just find yourself a new furry or feathered friend.


See you at the store!

2.24.2012

Model home is Model Perfect!

You all know that Ethel isn't just a fabulous vintage furniture store, we're interior designers as well! We love helping our clients and customers achieve their design dreams and making their homes a more beautiful space that suits their needs and lifestyle.
You can read all about our latest project here,
And remember, no project is too small for the Ethel gals!
See you at the store!

2.15.2012

Ethel loves vintage fashion!


Sometimes when I can't be here, our friend Shannon fills in. She's become a real favourite with our Ethel customers, both for her sunshiny smile and her vast knowledge of vintage clothing. She's helped us sell a few things through her Etsy site from time to time, including a fabulous 80's Hermes dress we found when shopping for the store. We know vintage furniture, but Shannon is our go-to vintage fashion gal!
We're hoping to do more vintage clothing pop-up sales with her this year too, but for now, check out her Etsy site for some retro fashions.
You can also follow Shannon's fashion adventures on her blog, A Second Life.
See you at the store!


2.12.2012

Dated 80's becomes Beautiful Blue!

As most of you may know, we are not only a vintage furniture store, we are also interior designers, and one of our most favourite things to do is to help our design clients reinvent their furniture.

Take this pair of petite arm chairs.
They were languishing in a guest room, and our client wasn't sure if she wanted to replace them or re-do them. Don't let the dated 80's upholstery fool you! These beauties are British and have solid frames so we convinced our client it was well worth it to reupholster them.

We chose a lovely blue linen and coordinating crewelwork fabric for pillows, and we had new turned legs spray lacquered to match other furniture in the room. The new legs replace the old castors, giving the chairs a bit more height so they're more comfortable. We also opted to not do a skirt, so the chairs look more contemporary (and so you can see the lovely legs!) We replaced the existing ottoman with a new custom ottoman with coordinating legs to match, so her guests would have somewhere to put their feet up.
Don't they look darling?

The client loves her new/old chairs and is so happy she invested in their refurbishment. We think Princess Perfect (http://www.princessperfect.ca/) did an amazing job and so does our client.

Drop by the shop to ask us if YOUR furniture is worth re-doing.
See you at the store!