t had to happen. A Structube of epic proportions has set up shop on College Street, near Little Italy. Structube, if you're sadly unfamiliar, is like Ikea for the upper echelons of the just-moving-out gradient. While there is no pool of plastic balls to lose your children in, or a midpoint cafeteria with cheap fare to keep you pounding through the display maze with your mini pencil and pad. Not a hotdog in sight. Structube, you see, is more refined then that. Not to the point where they will sell you your furniture assembled, but that’s just too much to ask of furniture these days. The Montreal export deals in modern, streamlined furniture for the livingroom, bedroom, kitchen, office, dining room and more. An entire house outfitted in Structube would be a tidy, well-used space full of light and clean, modern, almost minimalist lines.

Another marked clue that you're not in Ikea is the prices. You won’t find teens on the move or new families at the Structube because the price curve turns them away. A simple six-seat dining room set made out of beech wood with polyester seat covers goes for about $1,300 before tax. Still, there are decent deals hiding in the back if you have the patience to look for them. The best bang for your buck here also happens to be the most coveted item in the store; the scoop stool. Looking oddly akin to an ice cream scoop upended, the shop’s most moved item is cool-looking, comfortable and clocks in at amere $79.00. Spending money just got a whole lot easier. –J.T.

507 College Street
Toronto, ON
416-929-2423