THE CHIEF SALVAGE CO. 1493 Dundas West, 647-352-1983, thechiefsalvage.blogspot.com
Toronto is spoiled for salvaged furniture shops where factory cast-offs and almost antiques go to be recycled into industrial design finds. So what sets Cody Cochrane’s The Chief Salvage Co. at Dundas and Dufferin apart? While most local pickers scour the back roads of rural Ontario and New England for their stock, Cochrane goes deep into the southern U.S. to source religious iconography, Freemason paraphernalia and other Americana.
Anyone who shops regularly for this kind of stuff knows that the story behind an object is as important as its aesthetic. Cochrane expertly tells tales from Masonic lore and American history while pointing out papier-mâché masks, vintage bound autograph books and commemorative silver spoons.
She doesn’t totally turn her back on Canada, though. On a recent visit, a weather-worn canvas canoe from Nova Scotia stood proudly in the front window.
The Chief Salvage Co. picks: A pair of ceramic praying-hand bookends is $60 the most romantic aspect of an 1890s wedding photo is the patina on its oval frame, $160 that canvas canoe can be yours for $880.
Look for: A great selection of vintage jewellery.
Hours: Wednesday to Friday noon to 7 pm, Saturday and Sunday noon to 6 pm.
