Store Guide: Anthropologie’s new Queen West flagship, housed in a 19th-century church

Name: Anthropologie Sells: Women’s wear, kid’s wear, accessories and home furnishings Contact info: 761 Queen St. W., anthropologie.com
Hours: M-W, Sa 10-7, Th-Fr 10-8, Su 12-6

Anthropologie, purveyor of pretty clothes and twee home products, recently opened its fifth Toronto outlet inside a 19th-century church on Queen West. Though the building’s façade, its stained glass windows and one intricately carved fireplace remain relatively untouched, a 16-week-long renovation saw the 7,000-square-foot interior completely transform (even the reclaimed barn-wood flooring is new).

The store is organized to resemble a home: there’s a dining table and bar on the main floor, and a boudoir next to the changing area. The second-floor “bedroom” is quite the retreat, complete with a tinkling fountain, a hand-embossed bed topped with luxe linens and an extremely Instagram-able mantle. As in all Anthro stores, basically everything is for sale, even the one-of-a-kind antiques, like a gigantic 19th-century kitchen cabinet from France. Clothing-wise, shoppers can expect the usual mix of crocheted floral vests, leather jackets and, currently, a spring roster chock-full of bright prints. Combined with eye-catching pieces of art, mod lighting fixtures and the character of the church, it all makes for a beautiful environment—unsurprisingly, the store is already fielding requests from customers who’d like to book the space as a wedding venue.