It seems every manufacturer of stuff for the home tosses around the term “home fashions”. It’s used to describe everything from ready-made curtains to slip-covers to mass-produced accessories.
A lot of those items may be practical and some are even pretty but they’re not all necessarily fashionable. BoConcept, however, is a truly stylish, global brand.
Dominique Roberge, owner and General Manager of BoConcept’s new Toronto location says staying in vogue is a never-ending process.
“We have a team of in-house designers and their job is to travel the world. We attend the Milan Fair, the Cologne Fair, so we are very in tune with the trends. In our accessories collection you will find the same sort of tones and finishes you would see in Milan. We are on top of what is happening.”
Founded in Denmark, BoConcept now has more than 240 stores in 50 countries. Toronto is the third Canadian location after Vancouver and Calgary. Its focus centres on contemporary furniture for the urban-minded consumer. And with condos accounting for 6 out of every 10 homes sold in Toronto, good-looking, multi-purpose furnishings are in high demand.
“Our customers are not strictly condo-dwellers although our furniture is very well suited to condos”, explains Roberge. “Our clients come from large homes as well. Because our furniture is modular we can create large sectionals and large wall systems as much as we can create small living solutions.”
BoConcept staff love a good design challenge and they have the clever product line to meet it. Among the pieces are a coffee table that pulls out and expands to become dining table that seats 8 and an ottoman that opens up into a single bed. They are beautiful items on their own and the dual functionality is a delightful bonus. Sleek pieces can be covered in a wide range of fabrics and finishes that will look equally at home in a beachfront house or a downtown high-rise. The company prides itself on offering customized items that it describes as “affordable luxury”.
“There are a lot of choices in contemporary design where you need a second mortgage to furnish your home” says Roberge. “And there are a lot of choices at entry level. We offer great quality and designs, and Danish craftsmanship but our prices are affordable.”
Roberge routinely serves customers who have moved to Toronto from Paris, London, New York or another BoConcept city. They seek out the Toronto store because they loved the brand there and want to purchase it again here. Loyal clientele rave about how staff members are willing to go the extra kilometre to help them.
“We have a real heritage. The global nature of the brand is interesting and appealing to people. They know we offer great value and quality.”
Deciding on a new furniture purchase is rarely simple. Unless you’re starting with a completely clean slate, there are loads of things to take into consideration, from colour to texture to height, how the new pieces will look in relation to what you already own and so on. It can be difficult to visualize everything pulled together so BoConcept offers a solution, in detail, for free.
“We have a great in-home design service. Our consultants will take measurements and can even do 3D renderings so people can see, is that arm rest far enough from the wall? We can show them and put their mind at ease.”
BoConcept is at Jarvis and Adelaide, near the St. Lawrence Market. www.boconcept.ca