post item sent in by reader John, his comments below in italic...Urbanscape is moving and the building has been sold. Here is some info on the new owners. I think they will be a great addition to the neighborhood. And, it seems like they value the local architecture. The Junction is quickly becoming a mecca for small, independent interior design stores.from the new owners blog a bit about the kit they will be offering.......we are realizing with 3 living and 3 dining sets (to meet 3 price points), PLUS an awesome children’s section, kitchenware, antique/vintage rugs, home accessories and lighting, we are going to need to use all of our first floor space, so thank goodness it stretches back to about double the size you see here.and this blogs comments...If the people opening the store are using the letters in the name of their store for the Swedish word for milk, I think the store is named milk.
....here is a link to the duos blog
here with the why and how posts - quite good - it's well worth looking at. and
here a link to their post on the building.
Why look at their blog and get an idea of what they plan to offer and do?
...well a reading of their site gives a great sign they they have a deep interest in the made object and the ornamentation of design, all things that have deep roots in the Junction, and for seriously bad reasons started to drift away starting in the 50's. The greater Junction still had it's quirky manufacturing sites, but the persons living as makers and designers in the Junction had all but moved out by the late 70's and a very small few remained until the about 1984, with even few riding out the entire era.
Recently although in the past five years many more have moved into the Junction buoyed by the availability of reasonable studio lodgings and for a few cheap retail space rents. Yet the Junction still suffers from a becoming cohesive whole in the one area it commends itself on, ...being a mark making made here cultural entity.
If this effort stays true to remarks on their blog it could tremendously contribute to making a bit of its past craft and object glory become part its current existence.
Oh, and from the craft perspective the line about 3 price points is great - as the fine craft design movement has almost destroyed itself in Toronto in the past 10 years not addressing this issue, so a store pro porting to love the made object and price points is extra good.
The owners choice of Studio Junction is a great one also as the principal of the studio is deeply ingrained in the woodworking and design community, and their wording indicates they are will to take in some ideas from the excellent studio, it could end up being one of the best designed stores in the Junction
The author of this post has purposely stayed away from interpreting the new stores owners blog as much as possible for this post. Hoping people would go their and read it for themselves.
