Antique row no more?

[attach]745[/attach]Once upon a time in Leslieville, so the story goes,
There was a shopping strip known as Antique Row.
They say it’s not the same as it used to be
But there’s still heaps of retro goodies in shops for you to see ….

And to buy, natch.

So it’s not the jazziest of limericks, but you get the idea.

Truth is, antique, retro and vintage furniture and accessory shops haven’t yet gone the way of the dodo on the Queen St. East strip east of Carlaw Ave.

In fact, there’s a suite of five such stores on one block alone, as I recently discovered on my latest shopping sojourn.

My timing is perfect, as I find pal and décor maven extraordinaire Stephan Howard has opened yet another shop, this time just east of his well-known store Flik and Company Interiors.

Pied-à-Terre opened a few short weeks ago and is a co-op décor concept between Flik and Company and three other dealers, including Partners in Time in Toronto, My Back Shed in Oakville, and Retrospective of Bloomfield.

The cool thing about a collaborative shop such as this is you can find four looks in one: the country-meets-industrial ethic of Flik, the second-hand treasures and driftwood accessories of Partners in Time, the traditional “shabby-chic” look of My Back Shed, and the French country look of Retrospective.

And with Stephan heading up the look of the store, you’ll be blown away by how these different styles meld together in beautifully crafted displays and vignettes — as Stephan puts it, you can come in and buy an entire ensemble and not have to worry about putting it together yourself.

Sharyl McPhee Skinner and Patrick Skinner of Partners in Time are truly partners in time and crime: they manage the shop and live in the back space, where they have a workshop.

The couple is known for their handmade driftwood chandeliers, the wood for which is culled from the shores of Lake Ontario. Starting at $395 for a small piece and averaging about $695 for a larger one, these natural, chic light fixtures are a fraction of the going rate in Paris, Stephan tells me, where they can run as much as $10,000. Ouch!

Other hot finds in store: an industrial metal filing cabinet with pullout metal drawers that will perfectly fit a couple wine bottles standing up for $1,195; an antique writer’s desk that Patrick salvaged and repurposed for $175; and a luxe blue velvet armchair from the 1950s with curved legs, $200, that Stephan tells me he’s planning on reupholstering.

I threaten to chain myself to the chair if he does.

The velvet chair is now in my living room — check it out at [url=http://www.grunge-queen.blogspot.com.]www.grunge-queen.blogspot.com.[/url]

1114 Queen St. East, lower level, 647-348-6025.

You don’t have to go far to get to AMA, standing for All … Most Antiques — just up the stairs to the main level and then up a few more stairs. There you may find owner Sam Kumar, who’s been selling retro furniture and decorative accessories, and some antiques, in the ’hood for 15 years.

There’s a good selection of furniture here, starting with the retro teak pieces in the front area of the store. Everything is as-is — not repurposed as you’ll find in Pied-à-Terre — but good deals abound. A slightly shabby blue armchair is $79, while a huge bucket-style purple velvet chair from the 1950s or so is $295.

A gorgeous Art Deco vanity made of walnut veneer over maple wood, $495, is like nothing I’ve ever seen. There’s an entire wall of hanging mirrors in different styles ranging from $95 to about $395 and more for the really big ones.

The real find: hanging hall lamps from the Victorian era (hence antiques) from Sam’s own collection, $795–995 and highly collectable.

1114 Queen St. East, main level just up stairs, 416-466-9724.

A few doors over at Bronze Home Décor, a few furniture pieces are stacked in the long narrow shop that’s been a fixture in the area for 20 years or so.

But the Victorian chair with bull’s horns for the legs and arms, $1,800, is a little too freaky for my taste.

The real finds here are in the offbeat decorative accessories, like the selection of retro globes sprinkled throughout the store, from about $79–150, or the blingy vintage and retro crystal chandeliers starting at about $145.

Speaking of bling, there’s a basket of old chandelier strands, $10 each or two for $15, that would make perfectly glam holiday tree ornaments. One strand fits around my neck and would make a fab statement piece necklace.

1120 Queen St. East, 416-913-6545.

Meanwhile, Aileen’s Antiques has a lot of girly type antiques and second-hand goods, like pretty lampshades, dolls and china that don’t quite suit my style ethic. Still, I have a nice chat with owner Aileen Monte and a gent, both drinking Coke out of wine glasses — gotta love that.

A red mahogany sideboard, very unique, is $395, while a walnut floor radio, from the 1930s, I’m guessing, has been gutted and reconfigured as a bar, $395.

Aileen also has a good collection of wind-up watches — just ask to see them — as well as some pretty decent costume jewellery from the 1970s onward. A gorgeous locket on a chain from this era by the jewellery maker 1928 is $40.

1126 Queen St. East, lower level, 416-461-7913.

I can’t talk about Aileen’s without mentioning its sister store just up the stairs from the street, Neat Things. I’ve already written on this shop and the sweet lady Ellen who owns it, so you may know you can dig up everything from furniture and Jesus pictures to vintage handbags and Canadian pottery.

Go and stay for hours, just don’t bring the kids as this one is jam-packed with all sorts of bibs and bobs that could be easily upset if the entire kiddie brood shows up.

There are too many good deals here to count. Last time I was in, I picked up a vintage Liberty of London silk scarf for a few bucks. The day I pop in, I ransack the display and find another one. Talk about second-hand karma.

1126 Queen St. East, main level just up stairs, 416-778-9453.