New couch connection
Chic Montauk Sofa, formerly based in Yaletown, has opened a new Vancouver store (228 Abbott Street) in the design-friendly neighbourhood of Gastown. The open and airy showroom fuses old with new: more than 30 of Montauk’s modern chairs and sofas are displayed in the historic, two-level space, complete with exposed brick walls and glass storefront. Montauk Sofa uses biodegradable materials, and the company boasts a carbon-neutral status. The plush sectionals and two- and three-seat sofas run upward of $4,000, after your luxe living-room essential has been upholstered and customized to fit your space.
> Michelle da Silva

Shape-shifters
Condo dwellers take note: Resource Furniture has opened its first Vancouver showroom (322 Water Street), specializing in space-saving pieces. Pieces include single-to-queen-size beds that turn into desks or hide behind shelving units (starting at $2,700), sofas that transform into a set of bunk beds ($3,990), coffee and small dinner tables that unfold into dining-room tables (starting at $1,840), and a decorative ottoman that produces seating for up to five people ($1,000). For shared living- and dining-room spaces short on square footage, we like the Trendy table (starting at $2,600), which transforms from a low, steel-and-wood-finished coffee table to a full-size dinner table that easily seats six.
> Michelle da Silva

Hooked on cork
Clunky metal and wood coathooks are so passé. Not only are they an eyesore and invite mounds of hangable clutter, but they often ruin walls when they are finally taken down. Enter the cork peg, a simple wall accessory by Vancouver’s molo design. The pegs ($50 for a set of two) are made from cylindrically cut cork, a sustainable and eco-friendly material, and attach to walls using magnetic connectors. The total weight-bearing capacity at the end of the cork peg is 1.2 kilograms, while the middle of the peg can hold 2.2 kilograms—just enough for a single sweater, tote bag, or maybe one of molo’s other items, such as the translucent hobo lantern ($100).
> Michelle da Silva

Give a hoot
If there is an official bird—or would that be mascot?—for this fall’s home-décor season, it has to be the owl. Its emblazons everything from cushions to ceramics. For images of the feathered friend that aren’t too folksy, we love the cool owl glow lamp ($29) in sleek white at Urban Barn (various locations)—call it National Audubon Society meets Apple. And then there are the playful white pillows ($32) that feature a black illo of an owl riding a bicycle (a penguin sits at the wheel of an old-fashioned car on another one).
> Janet Smith

Style that sticks
Home renters are often faced with dilemma: paint, wallpaper, or decorate their walls and forego that precious damage deposit or live in a dull space. Montreal-made Voilà! Stickers live up to their name: they easily and almost instantly transform rooms using decals. The stickers (starting at $15) are made from vinyl, and they adhere to outdoor and indoor living spaces with the aid of transfer paper and a squeegee, which are both included. The decals stay in place for up to five years, and when they are removed, paint and wallpaper remain untouched—ideal for temporary spaces. Designs range from calming nature-themed images and city skylines to larger-than-life manga characters and iconic movie figures.
>> Michelle da Silva

Sheet heaven
Part of the allure of European boutique hotels is the fine linens and duvet covers on the beds. Now a U.K. line called Volga Linen is available in Vancouver—hem-stitching and all. Sourced mainly from Russia, the pure-linen line is a favourite of those hotels we mentioned. It features bone buttoning on duvet covers and Oxford edge pillowcases, all in ivory white. Prices range from $98 for a pillowcase up to about $420 for that iconic, hem-stitched duvet cover at Orling & Wu (28 Water Street).
> Janet Smith