styleNorth

This awesome vintage patio set was on the sidewalk in front of Toronto’s Post & Beam (2869 Dundas Street West, 416.913.4243) yesterday so naturally we ducked in to ask some questions. There are five chairs in the French Regency-style set, which was cast in the 1930s. Look closely and you’ll see that the table — actually a stool — isn’t a match; it’s made of aluminum from a different era but it certainly works with the set ($500 for the lot).

The piece that really inspired me to post about these vintage garden items is the old school plant stand, above centre. Made of powder-coated metal, the arms swivel for maximum flexibility ($225). The cast iron planter, above left, comes with a mate for $350 and the 1940s concrete bird bath, above right, is $550. And owner Douglas Killaly had more great stuff inside.

The enormous planter, above left, looks like concrete but is, in fact, cast iron: it was in such hard shape Doug had it sandblasted and powder coated — it’s vintage but looks new and will probably last forever ($550). The Ram ornament is carved from a single piece of stone ($375).

The cast concrete swans are planters with deep hollows in their backs ($475 for the pair) and the contemporary cast urns below are $150 each. If modern is your mantra, give Post & Beam a pass, but if you want your garden or porch to feel lived-in, there’s no quicker way to get there than with traditional pieces like these. Tell them you saw it on styleNorth!