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For the Home

Anthropologie

The chain retailer’s signature boho chic may be a global institution, but it still manages to channel an independent vibe (to wit: its one-of-a-kind vintage wool and felt patchwork blankets, $700). The always-replenished sale section yields great finds like the Glasswing Collection queen-size duvet for 75 percent off retail.

Orling & Wu

Orling and Wu could have been just another thoughtfully curated (read: sparsely inventoried) Gastown store. Though this little homewares shop may look and feel gallery-like with its rare finds and elegant pieces, it runs more friendly in vibe. The owners met in England while attending design school, so the fresh mix of contemporary, vintage, and classic pieces for sale reflect a European sensibility: whether it’s the Nosey Parker greeting cards handmade in the U.K.

Old Faithful Shop

Be forewarned: when leaving the Old Faithful Shop, you might start pining for a larder or, at the very least, glass-bottle milk delivery service. This bricks-and-mortar general store harks back to a time when packages were wrapped in twine and most things were crafted by hand—but still manages to evoke an au courant vibe (imagine if Terence Conran lived on Little House on the Prairie). From jam jars (starting at $8) to iPad attachés (by Makr, $240), all goods look like they belong in an old trading post.

Mint Interiors

When Rien Sharma and Michael McNamara started their home staging business, they brought an imaginative eye and a dose of rare individuality to the Lower Mainland homes they were styling. Soon their clients wanted to know where they could get their hands on the duo’s accessories and furnishings—and so Mint Interiors was born. The cavernous, sleek white space showcases some of the most irreverent, bespoke, and contemporary homewares in town.

Marché St. George

To those who find this neighbourhood gem squeezed between family homes, owners Pascal Roy and Janaki Larsen describe their European-inspired market café, Marché St. George, as a cross between a "general store and a Vermeer painting." As you saunter through the shop, stroking the Oaxaca blankets and Lithuanian linens, and nibbling the handmade Farmhouse cheeses from Agassiz, Roy will hand you a hot caffè Canadiano made from Oughtred coffee beans and a pain au chocolat.

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