Fine Lines

It’s not often you see a man ecstatic about test-driving a turquoise fibreglass armchair rocker, but that was the recent scene at INHABIT, the Yaletown retailer of designer wares for home and family.

He had come running after receiving an urgent cell phone call from his pregnant wife (okay, we eavesdropped, but it was pretty tough not to, because she was REALLY excited). “Trust me”, she’d emphasized into the phone as she stroked the molded back of the chair. “Just get down here”. Then, to the clerk: “Do you know how hard it is to find stuff like this in Vancouver?”

Well, it’s not so hard any more. Thanks to the labours of owner Insun Jung—who was literally going into labour with her first child while putting the finishing touches on her shop—Vancouverites now have improved access to designer goods from Europe, Japan and the States.

And while you pay for the added quality, it’s quality that can’t go unnoticed. Our sharp-eared Savvy Scout overheard more than one customer comment about the ‘old-school’ workmanship, an impression that’s enhanced by the retro design of many of the products.

There’s a $52 Toolbox Diaper Caddy by Skip*Hop that holds everything you need and looks good while doing it. (Insun says she chooses goods that are aesthetically beautiful AND functional.) Or you can keep your shampoo and bubble bath bottles organized on Boon’s wall-mounted Frog Pod (a savvy pick from way back) which has a detachable scoop with which you can capture, drain and store the bath toys ($39.99). Or you might fall for the P’kolino Klick, a child’s wooden desk and chair combo that not only stores art supplies, but pushes together when not in use to form a perfect, space-efficient cube ($345).

From organic mom-and-baby skin care to mod-art flashcards, from the best-ever sock monkeys to high chairs straight out of the Jetsons, there is something here for everyone, whether you’re a browser or a buyer.

And since this IS the modern age, after all, shopping at INHABIT is only a click away, at www.inhabitshop.com. But if you’re in the mood for a taste of the Continent, have a stroll through Yaletown and visit the store in person. You’ll also find lots of unique grown-up gift ideas for every (and we mean, every) occasion…after all, who doesn’t need 60 m of “Shut Up” tape?

So for those who thought you couldn’t get “that” in Vancouver, we think you might find it here.

(And that mom who was raving about the Eames Armshell Rocker? Her savvy suggestion: If you bring the kids, head to nearby Urban Fare for a bite; it’s a very family-friendly eating spot in an otherwise rather haute-cuisine ’hood.)

inhabit
1188 Hamilton St. (at Davie)
(604) 662-7408
www.inhabitshop.com

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