Where to find cottage gear and décor in Toronto

Let’s face it: we don’t all have the luxury of retreating to a summer home in the Muskokas. But we all deserve a cozy escape. For some urbanites, a rustic oasis awaits on a balcony with paper lanterns and an inflatable kiddie pool. Whether you’re goin’ up country or nestling in for a city staycation, these Toronto shops have all the goods to enrich your cottage charm. [Image credit: iStock.com/tpuerzer]

By Jeni Riddell

Drake General Store

1

1144 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1J3

• Phone Number
  • 416-531-5042Primary
• Directions

Garden gnomes, nautical art, eclectic dishware and taxidermy, just some of the novelties that make cottage life so chill. To add even more flare to your cabin’s scrapyard of misfit trinkets, visit The Drake General Store (locations on Queen West and in midtown). Some of their bestsellers include the fixie bike-inspired pizza cutter, the Canadian lumber pillow (a log-shaped travel pillow filled with micro beads), and the vintage-looking bottle openers.

Muttonhead

2

337 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2M8

• Phone Number
  • 647-341-4415Primary
• Directions

Muttonhead lives and breathes the Canadiana ethos. Basically, if this Roncesvalles brand came to life it would taste like maple syrup, smell like Ryan Gosling and feel like a Tragically Hip concert in mid-July. Touting all locally made merch, their high-quality backpacks, pillows, toques, grooming products, mugs and records will prep you for the northern wilds. While you’re at it, roll up to the dock in style, with their Mountain High beer cosies and leather Big Sixer beer caddy. Because, beer.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

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Black Rooster

3

1025 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1K3

• Phone Number
  • 416-465-7778Primary
• Directions

If you’re really looking to step up your outdoor game, Black Rooster Décor offers a mix of shabby-chic accessories and retro rugged furniture. Vintage inspired pieces like the Gold Disco ice bucket and outdoor-inspired mountain rugs creates an American Hustle circa 1970s vibe, (sans the whole con-man mafia thing).

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A Changing Nest

4

572 Annette St, Toronto, ON M6S 2C2

• Phone Number
  • 416-519-2011Primary
• Directions

“Out with the new, in with the old” accurately describes this hundred-year-old house turned consignment shop in High Park. A Changing Nest is a three-storey house draped with curated vintage furniture and antique accessories. Tucked away in the back garden is their very own cottage and treasure chest filled with unique offerings, from painted furniture to wicker baskets, dishware and garden collectibles.

Outer Layer

5

577 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V 2B6

• Phone Number
  • 416-869-9889Primary
• Directions

If it’s yellow, let it mellow, if it’s brown…you get the point. For tongue in cheek décor that usually only flies in cottage country, check out Outer Layer on Queen Street West. This brick and mortar gift shop offers over 10,000 eclectic collectables. Hurry in to scoop up their Vladimir Pootin Lavatory Mist, a sophisticated level of tackiness that’s both appropriate and celebrated at any cottage restroom.

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North Standard Trading Post

6

1662 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6R 1B2

• Phone Number
  • 647-348-7060Primary
• Directions

Owners of North Standard Trading Post, Pam and Frank are the type of neighbours you want to have around. Not only do they support local shops and restaurants, but they also make a concerted effort to fill their dog-friendly store with Toronto-based designers and artists. Heritage-inspired pieces, unfinished wood, suspended snowshoes and the aroma of campfire candles, invoke the sights and smells of rustic lodging without even leaving the 6.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

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Dock Shoppe Inc

7

161 Cherry, Toronto, ON M5A 4N6

• Phone Number
  • 416-362-3625Primary
• Directions

Conveniently located along Toronto’s Harbourfront, The Dock Shoppe is fully equipped with boating, fishing, and aquatic gear for your next nautical adventure. And if that’s not enough to lure you in, they offer an assortment of quirky gift ideas from a sea captain’s hat, to a stainless steel pocket compass or a brass ivory hour glass. Mix in a monocle and things could get weird (or great) real fast.

Tuck Shop Trading Co.

8

1226 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4T 1W3

• Phone Number
  • 416-859-3566Primary
• Directions

Designer of the infamous City of Neighbourhoods toques, Tuck Shop Trading Co.’s owner Lindsay Borschke has teamed up with Norquay Co. to develop a Muskoka and Georgian Bay line in similar fashion. The Summerhill boutique also carries Take Me To The Cottage-stamped tote bags, hand-painted cherry-wood paddles, woollen throws, and infinity scarves – all the backcountry must-haves to keep you a happy camper.

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More from Jeni Riddell

A proud Hamiltonian, Jeni enjoys using foul adjectives and challenging friends to uncomfortable rounds of "Would You Rather." When she’s not initiating Fleetwood Mac sing-alongs or drawing eyebrows on her dog, she can be found patio-side on Augusta Street, hitting up Chedoke Golf Course or jogging the Bruce Trail.

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