Western Living Magazine
Off-the-Grid Living: Exploring the Island Cabin near Desolation Sound, B.C.
It’s Always Happy Hour at These 7 Homes with Built-in Bars
Great Spaces: Vancouver’s Wildlight Kitchen and Bar Is a Natural Beauty
3 Parisian Bistro-Inspired Comfort Food Recipes to Bring a Taste of Paris Home
Recipe: Confit Lamb With Roasted Eggplant and Baby Potatoes
Recipe: Sausage With Aligot
The Maui Resort That’s Banking on Your Thoughtfulness
Your Ultimate Travel Itinerary: Brooklyn Like a Local
The 2024 Spring Road Trip Destination You Won’t Want To Miss
Trending for 2024: Top 10 Stylish Furniture and Home Design Picks to Revitalize Your Space
How to achieve kitchen perfection: luxury appliance brand Fisher & Paykel shares all
Editors’ Picks: The Best Books We Read in 2023
How Do I Enter the WL Designers of the Year People’s Choice Awards?
Introducing the Winners of Our First Annual WL Design 25 Awards
WL Design 25 Winners 2024: White Out
A sneak peek inside this collab between Lock and Mortice and Matthew McCormick Studio.
Despite its namesake, Arcade in Vancouver’s Gastown neighbourhood is not a dingy, neon-lit hole that smells like hot dogs and Sprite-soaked carpet. In fact, it’s about as far from that as you can get.
The new furniture showroom was dreamed up by local solid wood furniture designers Lock and Mortice and lighting designer Matthew McCormick, who were looking for ways for interior designersand the publicto experience their products in person. But a regular brick-and-mortar store wouldn’t do. Especially not one that was packed with furniture.
Instead of piling all of their wares into one place, the designers thoughtfully curated a showroom that is all kinds of calm. Here’s some snapshots from my visit last week:
Despite the very mindful placement of the furniture and lighting, Josiah Peters and Matthew McCormick let me know that the showroom is meant to be used. Case in point, they insisted that I try out the daybedand when I tried to take off my shoes, they told me not to bother. As perfect as the space appears, they aren’t being precious about it.
Every few months, Arcade will have a different guest designer showing in the space along with Lock and Mortice’s furniture and McCormick’s lighting. It’s an opportunity for other local designers, many who don’t have physical stores of their own, to get their products looked at, touched, and sat on.
Everything from the furniture to the music to the smell of the place has been selected with a calming energy in mind. And, most importantly to the founders, there’s no pressure to buyit’s all about the experience. It’s a refreshingly peaceful space we wouldn’t mind taking a nap in.
Arcade Showroom#215, 332 Water St., VancouverOpen by appointment only
Are you over 18 years of age?