Happy Friday, all! I hope you’re having a great start to the weekend – and that you enjoyed my latest post about Carens Rosedale, a fabulous French restaurant in Toronto. Today I’d like to highlight another iconic business in the Rosedale neighbourhood… in fact, it’s located on the very same block! After our fondue date at Carens, Tania and I stopped into one of my very favourite home décor stores – Putti Fine Furnishings – for some retail therapy.
Just like Carens, Putti has a long history. This European-inspired décor shop first opened 24 years ago! Originally an antique store, they now sell everything from furniture, lighting and home accents to clothing, beauty products and stationery. I first fell in love with Putti many, many years ago. Once upon a time, they had a location on King Street in Old Town Niagara-on-the-Lake. My grandmother lived in the area, and when I would go visit her, one of our favourite pastimes was taking a stroll down King, browsing through all the cute shops, and of course, treating ourselves to an ice cream cone at The Nutty Chocolatier. Putti was always one of my favourite stops (second only, of course, to the ice cream!) I was just a child at the time, so it wasn’t like I was shopping for home furnishings – though if you’d have let me, I probably would have!) But even at that young age, I was wholly entranced by Putti’s shabby chic, romantic aesthetic – a style that I still identify with decades later. What can I say… I guess I’ve always known what I liked!
Just like their Niagara-on-the-Lake outpost (which sadly no longer exists) Putti’s Toronto flagship is an experience in itself. The space is dreamy, elegant and unapologetically feminine. I’m still not quite sure how to most accurately describe their aesthetic. Shabby chic? Farmhouse? Cottage-core? Grandmillennial? Or perhaps a mix of all of the above. Whatever it is… I’m obsessed!
Putti has several different rooms and the store is deceptively large. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you’ll discover a new corner! Minimalist it ain’t, but its clutter is part of its charm. It kind of feels like you’re on a treasure hunt in your fashionable grandmother’s attic.
‘Putti’ is an Italian word, referring to the winged baby angels often depicted in ancient artworks, similar to a cherub or cupid. So, it’s fitting that you’ll find several of these adorable ‘putti’ throughout the store.
I love those vintage botanical prints pictured above. I’ve always had a love for botanical art, so much so that I did a gallery wall of Pierre-Joseph Redouté illustrations in my home office:
If you’ve followed me for a while, you probably also know that I have a bit of a blue-and-white obsession… Putti gets me!
One of the biggest home trends today is functional décor, and I totally get it. We all want to live in spaces that are stylish yet practical. But… there’s also something to be said for décor that serves no purpose other than to simply delight. Take this whimsical, oversized strawberry arrangement, for instance… is it functional or practical? Not in the slightest. But isn’t it fun?! (And check out that gorgeous vintage cabbageware!)
If you love holidays and seasonal décor as much as I do, Putti will not disappoint. They’re famous for their over-the-top Christmas decorations, but I happen to think their spring décor displays are equally wow-worthy. I mean… who wouldn’t want their own Easter egg tree??
One particular product I want to highlight: these gorgeous diffusers filled with dried flowers. Not only are they pretty to look at, but they smell lovely. This would make such a beautiful and elegant housewarming gift!
If you can’t make it to Putti in person, you can always shop directly from their website, but believe me when I say that an in-person visit is absolutely worth the trip. In a competitive city like Toronto, where the success rate for independent retail businesses is dismally low, it’s pretty impressive when you see a shop that’s lasted for over two decades. In Putti’s case, it’s easy to see why! Here’s hoping this special store is around for decades to come.
Do you have a favourite local shop that’s got a special place in your heart?
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