Need something to do this weekend? Here are five antique shops to check out if your space needs a little sprucing up.

The Main Sellution, 3206 Main Street

Whether you're a shopper on the hunt or a consigner looking to sell, this longstanding Mount Pleasant locale is the place to go for second hand vintage and antique furniture that doesn't skimp on quality. This reasonably priced Main Street gem isn't to be missed: rich brown mid-century credenzas, sparkling antique chandeliers, a 1920s typewriter, and dining room chairs embellished with vibrant hand-stitched designs are just a few of the distinct pieces that stood out during our last visit. If it's not your food but your dinnerware that needs a little spicing up, weave through the shop's maze of classic coffee tables and understated chairs to get your hands on a set of timeless, floral china—not unlike the kind that your grandmother used. If you're a frequent furniture recycler or a serious DIY-er, the shop's owner runs an Intro to Chalk Painting workshop for those looking to refurbish their purchases. The Sellution is always buying and consigning different items, which means inventory turnover is frequent—if you spot something on your first visit, buy it before someone else does. The friendly and knowledgeable staff makes the shopping process about 100 times less painful than the average trip to Ikea, so skip the big box experience for something with a little more character. (Keep in mind: In June, the Main Sellution will be moving to a new location at 1009 Kingsway.)

Mid-Century Modern Home/MCM Home, 810 Quayside Drive, New Westminster

Situated across from each other at New West's now-vibrant River Market, together this dynamic duo of coolly curated stores will help you achieve the full Mad Men effect in your home. At the original Mid-Century Modern Home, sleek teak furnishings abound (sometimes with big Danish labels), including atomic-era buffets, retro desks, and the kind of bar cabinets where Don Draper might down a bourbon while he sucks on a Lucky Strike. Beautifully refurbished, long, low sofas look straight out of your Scandinavian dreams, and check out the mod, upholstered 1960s and '70s recliners—the kind you might sink into in your fave corduroy suit and Hush Puppies. Across the hall, in MCM Home, are all your accessorizing needs. Members of the Cocktail Nation will love the selection of vintage glassware—enough crystal decanters, tumblers, and ice buckets to outfit your entire swinging-bachelor bar. The 1970s ceramic ware is truly staggering, the kind of kitschy-chunky lamp stands and wildly textured lava pottery that scream "retro rumpus room". In the same kitsch vein, check out the selection of Chalet glass produced by Canadian Art Glass, scalloped, freeform sculptural pieces that come in vibrant orange, chartreuse, and blue. Lighting runs the gamut from brushed-aluminum chandeliers to psychedelic pendant shapes in eye-searing hues of orange, yellow, or turquoise. Starburst clocks, plastic-pink coffee sets, arc floor lamps... Basically the only problem you'll have here is wondering how much mid-century is too much in one home?

A Baker's Dozen Antiques, 3520 Main Street

Located in the heart of the Main’s antique district, A Baker’s Dozen is a vintage shopper’s dream come true.  With trinkets that remind you of your childhood way-back-when, 19th- and 20th-century furniture, jewellery, and art, the shop is rich in eccentric and eclectic items. The store has been around for more than 30 years and is well known in the area for its collection of vintage toys. Some say it’s a bit pricier than other antique shops, but with the wide variety and near-overflow of specialty items, it’s not hard to understand why things may cost a little more. From the outside looking in, it’s tiny and doesn’t look like much, but a step inside reveals a museum of knickknacks, treasures, and artwork. 

The Found & The Freed, 706 Victoria Drive

Like mammoth-sized, pristinely staged Ikeas and the bath and bedding section of your favourite luxury department store, The Found & The Freed is the type of shop that you wouldn’t mind living in one bit. A favourite of local interior designers and keen collectors alike, the charming space showcases its one-off finds in a way that makes it easy to picture them at home: weathered shelves are lined with blooming succulents potted in vintage enamel cups; antique watchmaker’s desks are decorated with trinkets like skeleton keys, shiny glass bottles, and black-and-white photographs. Brass lamps, lit with globular Edison bulbs, illuminate old-school shop signs and world maps. In one area, you’ll also find a range of locally crafted goods, like cardamom-infused honey from Mellifera Bees, scented Woodlot candles, and Italian tomato-based pastes by Sugo Sauce. The antiques are curated regularly from flea markets, auctions, and other vintage spots across North America, so you can expect something new each time you drop in. All that’s missing is a comfy mattress and a hot plate.

Attic Treasures, 944 Commercial Drive

Attic Treasures bills itself as specializing in mid-century modern decor, but the finds at the East Van shop don’t start and stop with ’60s-era Niels Koefoed chairs and ’70s-vintage Brutalist wall sculptures. Time travel back to the 1920s and ’30s with gorgeously deco glass lighting fixtures and sconces, or embrace your inner Pleasantville fetishist with a impressive selection of June Cleaver-approved Fire-King dinnerware. Because everything is better when you’re drunk, relive the Tequila Sunrise-hazed ’70s with a happy face-adorned cocktail shaker. The best thing about the Attic Treasures is that every time you turn around you’re reminded of a different movie, the shag-carpet orange furniture and fixtures on the north side of the two-room store straight off the retro-futuristic set of A Clockwork Orange, the tiki mugs at the rear conjuring up Elvis Presley’s immortal Blue Hawaii.