Europe is kicking back into gear—and so is this Euro-centric showroom in Riverside

In a pocket just east of the DVP and north of Queen East’s decor-store strip, there’s a slick furniture showroom that architects and interior designers go to for hard-to-find European labels. Founder Cliff Smith, who was once the art director at beloved children’s magazines Owl and Chickadee, deals primarily with professional designers, but given a few months’ lead time for goods to arrive from Europe, private individuals with appointments can shop the showroom too. The collection is relatively small—just 17 or so brands with a strong focus on chairs—but each brand is known for its quality or innovation. There’s Fermob, maker of the Jardin du Luxembourg’s famous metal loungers, and Ton, the 171-year-old Austrian manufacturer that pioneered the ubiquitous bentwood bistro seat (design geeks know it as the No. 14 chair).

This past April, Smith’s suppliers were meant to debut their latest at Milan’s Salone del Mobile—which is where Smith would snag the season’s most beautiful pieces—but instead, their factories were closed, countries went on lockdown and the emails slowed. Requests from professional designers for future projects were only slightly down during the worst of the pandemic, which was a relief. Now, as Europe kicks back into gear, his suppliers are getting ready to ship over the delayed samples of their creations. 33 Davies Ave., 416-360-1788, augustusjones.com.

A few of his current favourite things…