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

7.29.2012

Road Trip!

Ethel is going on a short road trip this week, so the store will be closed Monday July 30th, Tuesday July 31st and back open on Wednesday August 1st.
She'll be online so if you have any questions, send us an email.
See you in August!

7.22.2012

Are you an Ethel?


Are you an Ethel?
- Do you love listening to french yeye music, wearing too many bracelets and think the beehive hairdo is due to come back in style any moment now?
- Do you abhor beige in your home decorating choices, and prefer colour over bland?
- Are you a fan of Jonathan Adler and his devotion to Maximalism?
- Would you rather save up your pennies for that perfect Rosenthal teapot instead of getting take-out at Tim Hortons?
- Does the phrase "Crazy Daisy" mean something to you, other than the femme fatale on the Dukes of Hazzard having a bad day?
- Are you more Marimekko than Burberry? Do you prefer Pucci over Prada? Do you dream of wearing Vera Neumann instead of Vera Wang?
- Do you watch old movies for their set design and do you dream of one day owning your own 23 Beekman Place?

If you've answered "yes" to any of these questions....then you may just be an Ethel at heart! Admitting it is the first step, then the next step is coming on down to Ethel - 20th Century Living and celebrating your Ethel-ness....
Remember....Life is too short for Beige!!!
See you at the store!


7.16.2012

Style North Loves Ethel!

We've been in our new digs for just over two months and things have been going great. And today, they just got a little better, thanks to a lovely write up on the StyleNorth blog.
Atomic Ethel on Style North
Blog author Chris Jones has always been very good to Ethel, shopping at the store, and writing about us when we were in our old location. Today, his post totally articulates who we are and what our Ethel manifesto is. It's about good design, affordability, and, of course...Life is too short for Beige!
Thanks Chris!

7.09.2012

Swinging 60's disposable dollhouse!

Sometimes when we're shopping for the store, we find things we just can't part with. Take this vintage cardboard cut out dollhouse this past weekend that we found at the St. Lawrence Antique Market.
We have a weakness for vintage dollhouses, especially those that are more modern and less fussy. This one caught our eye with the bright mod colours and swinging 60's details, and the fact that it's cardboard and had NEVER been put together meant that it was in mint condition!
Designed by Maureen Roffey, a British illustrator, who also illustrated children's books in the same bright colourful style, this house epitomizes the fun pop sensibilities of late 60's swinging London.

Check out the fabulous mod colours and patterns!

The furniture has that wonderful Mod meets Victorian vibe. I bet a lot of British townhouses looked like this in the 60s.

We had tons of fun assembling everything ant putting it all together.



This may end up in the shop sooner or later. In fact, we'd love to find a modern version of this that we could sell in the store. In the meantime, we're going to keep it around for inspiration.
See you at the store! 




7.01.2012

Happy Canada Day!

Ethel has decided to take a few days off in honour of Canada Day, so we'll be closing early on Sunday July 1st, we'll be closed Monday July 2nd and Tuesday July 3rd and back in the store Wednesday July 4th.
Ethel also has a small favour to ask. She wants you to celebrate Canada every day, not just July 1st. Being patriotic isn't just about waving the Maple Leaf and listening to Rush, it's also about supporting Canadian businesses. So please try to shop local and buy Canadian. Also,  drop by the store for a lesson on the history of Canadian Design!
Happy Canada Day everyone!
See you at the store!