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Vancouver Special
Category: Shopping Home & Garden Home Decor Home Decor [Edit]
3612 Main StVancouver, BC V5V
Neighbourhood: Riley Park
(604) 568-3673
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 6 pm
Sun 12 pm - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
10 reviews for Vancouver Special
10 reviews in English
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Review from Corstian P.
Vancouver, BC
8/18/2010
On any stroll up and down on Main there are my usual places I always check. Vancouver special was always on my list if I made it up that far.
The place always seems to have new items, and is spot on with the design world. "Hay" has always been in my sights so having it front and center always fills me with hope.
The place has a nice selection of the-hard-to-come-by designer household pieces. The only downside is there isn't allot of range in price point. I mean I have no problem dropping dough on a great design piece but id like to not have to drop "all" my dough any time I drop by.
There is however a exception; the awesome selection of books. There is always room for one more book! This is really the reason I keep coming back. Art and architecture are my bread and butter and boy does Vancouver Special deliver.
Worth a look! -
Review from Carmen S.
Vancouver, BC
2/8/2011
I love this store. I'm a design enthusiast, certainly not an expert, but I enjoy some urban excavation, as I like to call it, and Vancouver Special has some great finds. It's been my go-to place for cool items for the house and for fun gifties like the GoVino wine glasses. After coveting their Elektra chaise for over a year, I noticed they had a great sale price on a floor model. I decided it was a sign so I bought it. The sales associate was extremely helpful. The store had a decent delivery charge and was able to deliver, on time, around my crazy work schedule which I really appreciated.
Seriously, Vancouver Special is one of the coolest stores in Vancouver. Check it out! -
Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
1/1/2010 1 photo
I can't say I'd ever spend a few hundred dollars on an alarm clock, or have the need for a paper house making kit, but I like to know I have the option.
If you're one of those impossible people to buy gifts for, your loved ones might want to have a peak inside the white walls here. Don't feel shameful over your lust for the finer things: if I were oozing cash, I might just refit my home in swank new accessories too, but for now, I'll continue to make this a dreamy little pit stop on my way up or down Main. -
Review from Kreag S.
Vancouver, BC
12/10/2008
Totally fun shop to blow your pay cheque...great selection of super fun coffee table books..great unusual gift options like a Lego memory stick for your computer...unique towel bars...Danish Couches..terrific selection of radios and just about anything you never knew you always needed.....
Vancouver Special is a must stop on your stroll of Main Street...even if just to look and be inspired by the modern simplicity of the stores aesthetic...if you are gonna buy something be prepared to pony up the cash..good design unfortunately doesn't come cheap.. -
Review from Erin S.
Vancouver, BC
8/23/2010
Got a design nerd on your shopping list, or maybe you're the one with an eye for detail? The home decor shop on Main street takes its name from something Vancouverites have loved to hate: the Vancouver special house. These days people have discovered a new appreciation for both the housing style and the store. The latter has books on every element of design you can imagine, plus beautiful home accessories, and excellent stationery. Friendly and knowledgeable staff who truly value beauty in the everyday.Who knew a dust pan could be so attractive?
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Review from Stephan W.
Langley, BC
12/16/2010
I used to live on Main just 2 blocks down from here; I stopped in because they had a multi-hued array of Solair chairs out front (Canadian designed in/outdoor lounge chair from the 70's a sort of plastic papa-san chair). I had not seen one since my parents last one fell apart after years of abuse by me and my sibs. I decided to go in and check the rest of their wares. Some upscale coffee table books and knick knacks with pricing to match. This is when I usually whip out my phone and start snapping pics in order to remember to look up a particular tome on ebay or the library website- but I didn't. All the while the girl behind the counter mere feet away gave zero recognition to my prescence. Perhaps I don't look it in my business apparel but behind this argyle vest burns the heart of a hipster. At least I might be if that was a term in the vernacular when I lived on down on Main Street. You can be artsy, hip, and sociable too, just ask the awesomely friendly girls down at CocoaNymph. Friendly sales people make more money, maybe someone should tell her that.
Worth a look for the wood alarm clock and the art book with an embossed pickle on the cover, just don't expect service.
5 stars for content.
2 stars for pricing (the solairs were $40 less at Fullhouse Consignment)
1 star for service. -
Review from Tara T.
BC
11/26/2008
This is a fun and funky homewares and knick-knack store with lots of surprises just waiting for you to find them. A great place to shop for quirky birthday gifts or original pieces for yourself. There's chinaware in fun colours and groovy patterns, stylish notebooks, soaps, lamps, and even a couple of sofas (which are more stylish than comfortable).
When I went in they had an awesome ginger bread display in the window. Artists had made these fabulously creative ginger bread houses for a charity auction, just in time for the Christmas season.
There is also a table covered in books that I think are all written about art. This store is definitely for the eclectic artist who's looking for something creative and unique. -
Review from Gaile G.
Vancouver, BC
12/28/2008
A great concept of bringing good design to the everyday home where for those of us who appreciated design however can't always afford the high end furniture we adore, Vancouver Special offers a great modern design alternative that is more approachable. Good design at good value on design brands from Japan and Europe from modern wool area rugs, home accessories to modular upholstery, and one of my favorite great buys: merino wool cube ottomans. Another favorite is the beautiful glassware collection designed by my favorite local designers MOLO DESIGN.
Owner Anne Pearson a recent grad from UBC shares an appreciation for modern design with the everyday shopper. The attention of detail in the designing of her retail showroom is a perfect example of the positive outcome of collaborating with one of Vancouver's leaders in modern architecture. Anne worked with Battersby Howatt to design this simple modern interior. Combining a well designed interior to feature well designed product makes for a shopping experience you'll want to come back to. It is retailers like Vancouver Special that have helped transform Main Street into the destination shopping experience that all of us design lovers are looking for. -
Review from Sonia S.
Montréal, QC
3/13/2010
Books, books, books! I love the interesting selection of art / design / architectural books. It's one of my favourite shops in Vancouver to spend time in as well as to buy beautiful books from. The service is also great. When I feel bored of Vancouver the city, Vancouver Special makes me feel connected to other major cities as its book collection represents amazing and inspiring creativity going on around the world.
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Review from Joe L.
Vancouver, BC
3/16/2010
It was a rather disappointing visit after reading about it in VanMag and making a special trip from downtown just to check it out. The selection of household items and books is limited. The items carried in the store are easily found at other similar retail establishments in the city. It does have a good selection of Tivoli audio equipment.
