Vancouver’s Old Faithful Shop is named for its reliably well-made household goods and old-fashioned attentive service. Owner Walter Manning was born to his trade: his grandparents on both sides, and their parents before them, all ran general stores that served as community hubs. “I grew up in their backrooms and whether it was hereditary or through osmosis, I didn’t have much of a choice but to follow suit.” Rather than focus on humble basics, however, Walter has an eye for contemporary Japanese and Scandinavian design: furniture, lighting, tableware, and kitchen tools that elevate the everyday.
We’ve been avidly browsing his offerings since the first OFS opened in 2010. The original outpost continues to thrive in Vancouver’s historic Gastown district. And Walter recently surprised us with news: despite the challenges of running a shop these past 18 months, he felt ready to open a second location. The OFS team spent the last four months “stripping down and building back up” a space in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighborhood, across English Bay from downtown Vancouver. Join us for a look around the new Old Faithful.
Above: “There’s a beautiful beach with mountain views five blocks from the store,” says Walter of Kitsilano. “The area has a relaxed pace: you feel like you’re on vacation here.” Shown in the window: Ferm Living pillows, fringed blankets, and a sculptural floor lamp in autumnal tones. Above: “We designed the space and fabricated the fixtures ourselves using a soft palette of warm beiges and grays mixed with blonde oak to create a serene atmosphere,” says Walter. Above: The shop sells everything from Copper Dish Cloths, $14.95 CAD, and Ostrich Feather Dusters, 34.95 CAD, to Verner Panton’s classic Flowerpot VP3 Table Lamps, $499.95 CAD (also available in a new portable version, $374.95). Above: Walter’s partner, photographer Jennilee Marigomen, took this portrait of him. The prints on display include Madelen Möllard’s Pink Coral, $129.95 CAD, from the Poster Club of Copenhagen. Above: An inventive flower arrangement for the shop opening. Says Walter, “A retail store affects the senses in a way that a handheld device cannot: intriguing displays, pockets of light enticing the eye, a relaxing melody, a subtle scent wafting throughout.” Above: Among the kitchen offerings: the Kinto 4 Cup Brewer Stand Set, $209.95 CAD; Kaico Coffee Pot, $164.95 CAD; and Kakomi Donabes, $215.95, ceramic covered pots that steam, simmer, and stew (and work on induction cooktops, thanks to a built-in heating element). Above: The books and periodicals department is furnished with a Japanese Nychair X Rocking, $964.95 CAD, a folding 1970 design made from steel, beechwood, and sailcloth. Above: Skagerak’s two-legged Georg Console Table, $1,084.95 CAD and cushioned Georg Stool, $599.95 CAD, in a quiet corner. The tall lamp is a Ferm Living design. Walter describes his selections as “trusty, well-built heirlooms—in a disposable world, we appreciate items that will exist long after we do.” Above: Skagerak’s oak Aldus Table 200 is a rectangular design with rounded edges that seats six to eight people, $4,359.95 CAD.
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