|
||||||
|
||||||
|
 
It used to be that most secondhand shops were found on the East Side, but over the past few years that has changed. The West Side now boasts a wide variety of shops capable of meeting most secondhand shopping needs. One area in particular can be found at 10th and Alma--a hub for local residents, and for students enroute to UBC. Several different buses (99, 10, 7, 9, and 32) will get you there and parking is ample and free. A good place to begin is at Folkart Interiors, right on the corner of 10th and Alma. From there you can either go east on Broadway for a few blocks, or up West 10th for about a block to find an array of other secondhand shops. In this small area you will find music stores (Prussin and Rufus Guitars), a bargain shop (the infamous Captain), two excellent bookstores (Carson's and Baehr Books), a children's consignment store (Nipper's Tog 'N Toy), a new clothing store (All Change), another furniture store (Angela James), and a few thrift shops grouped together on West Broadway. To enhance your shopping experience, there are two particularly interesting additions to the neighbourhood. At Celtic Woolens you can not only buy beautiful woolen sweaters from Scotland and Ireland, but also enjoy some great coffee while listening to live traditional Celtic music--every Saturday you can come by and hear live fiddle from 2-5, and on Sundays you can enjoy Appalachian music. The other place to stop is An Herbal Bliss, Tea and Herb Co. Here you can enjoy some tasty treats while sipping some unique blends of tea as you take a brief rest on your tour Many other services are on hand. Should you get hungry there are some terrific coffee shops and restaurants both big and small. There are excellent alteration shops, drycleaners, and shoe repair shops. For those who would like to incorporate a nature walk into their shopping day, the UBC endowment lands are close by. There are also many excellent cycling trails, and as fate would have it, you can rent a bike at one of the sport shops nearby.   Folkart Interiors has been in the neighbourhood for over 15 years and the store, located right on the corner of 10th and Alma, cannot be missed. If you somehow overlook the bright blue building with the hand-carved clock on the side (which the owner himself built) you will inevitably notice the amazing window displays with pine furniture and wooden sculptures of Canadian Mounties.
Dave Johnson, who has owned the store for the past nine years, considers Folkart Interiors to be one of the few remaining stores to sell original prairie/country pine. Dave is proud of his Canadian heritage and the store reflects this well. "Most of our antiques originate from the Doukhobors, Hutterites, Mennonites, and Ukrainians who brought unique stylings to Canada, eventually creating Western Canadian Folk Furniture." Dave prefers to carry pieces that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional. But sometimes he gets some rather strange requests for custom work. A few years back he was asked to commission a 25' wooden Mountie sculpture for a hotel in the Yukon. Other requests include wooden replicas of people's pets, samples of which can be found around the store. Dave and his staff are also proud contributors to the many pieces of furniture and folk art in the store. Dave has developed his own unique brand of folk art that is fun and yet has some very practical applications. He is particularly fond of his "cowboard" and the "holsteinway." You can find some of his art on display in the store, in local restaurants, and at the Vancouver International Airport, overlooking Bill Reid's sculpture. Sally Campa, the store manager, prides herself as a custom painter,
transforming new pieces of fu One of the local artists whose work is often on display in the store is Katrin. "My art is like my personality. I'm very spontaneous and as my mood changes, so does what I paint. I would consider my work to be fast, bold, and fun." She supplies beautiful floral paintings that offer a splash of colour in the natural wood setting. Maneuvering around the store can be a bit of a challenge, but this allows you to be up close and personal with all the magnificent pieces of furniture and folk art. This is definitely a place to be if you enjoy being around wood, especially pine. On the ceiling, however, I noticed something that seemed a bit out of place--a mirrored disco ball. Dave quickly explained, "we often have art shows and customer appreciation evenings on site--the ball offers a bit of ambiance." For more information on the store and its wares, you can check out
the Web site at www.folkartinteriors.com.
If you are a bit of a voyeur, go and check out their live web cam feed
at: |
Seconds Please! Thrift Shoppe SPCA Thrift Store |
||||
 Copyright © 2000-2002 Savvy Media. All rights reserved. |
||||||
Although
a great deal of the store's business is custom work and reproductions,
it still carries one of the finest collections of Canadian folk art,
antique pine furniture, and iron beds. It has a loyal following of customers
who are mostly local, but does get requests from as far away as Croatia
and Japan. Folkart Interiors has even had its share of celebrities stop
by, including Martha Stewart, Goldie Hawn, and Mark Messier. The furniture
is also regularly sought out by the movie business for rentals.
rniture
to look like country antiques. "I enjoy the artistic challenge. Every
piece is different," says Sally. Patrick Currie, fellow staff member,
spends much of his time refinishing the antiques. And everyone participates
in offering courses on site and through the 