City guide: Vancouver

If you're looking for luxurious linens, head to Terra Nova Linen House (106-1120 Hamilton St., 604-688-9280; threadcounts.com). At this Yaletown showroom you'll find a splendid selection of sheets, duvets, bedskirts and drapery imported from Italy, France and Portugal. The store also carries fine fabrics like 1,020-thread-count Egyptian cotton by Sferra Bros., with the highest thread count in the industry.

Kozai Designs (1515 West 6th Ave., 604-677-8166; kozaidesigns.com), owned by Ron Cromie, features stunning furniture and lighting imported from Japan. The contemporary furnishings are handmade of solid hardwoods like maple, American walnut, black cherry and Japanese oak, and often have raw edges that showcase the natural beauty of the wood. The gallery-inspired showroom also displays an exclusive selection of pendant, floor and table lamps -- available for the first time outside of Japan -- including free-form frameless and glueless paper lamps by award-winning designer Eriko Horiki, best known for creating the stage backdrop to cellist Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road concerts. Among the other items are unique Bunacored wall sconces, made from coiled beech wood tape, and ceiling lights and table lamps that look like toy tops.

Not only are the pieces at Small | Medium | Large (334 West Cordova St., 604-696-5211; sml-online.com) forward-thinking in design, they're also superfunctional. A pylon becomes a snazzy lamp, the backrest of a simple chair folds down so that the chair becomes a side table, and a desk converts into a dining table. The modern creations are also eye-catching, from a silver-plated copper bowl and plate set to a spiky hanging lamp made of Zap strap cable ties. The decorating possibilities will have your mind spinning.

Translated from Hebrew, Hafatzim (2028 West 4th Ave., 604-739-9903; 877-739-9903; hafatzim.com) means “objects of desire” -- and who could resist this store's vividly coloured cotton quilts, furniture, glassware and accessories? Founder Judith Bar opened the first location in Israel 10 years ago and recently brought her Mediterranean-inspired home furnishings and accessories to Canada. She designed many of the products, including side tables, chests of drawers, ceramics and flatware. Hafatzim also carries a bath and bedding line, with Egyptian-cotton bathrobes, silk pillow covers and natural oil soaps. White fabrics and accessories are also available to balance the vibrant items.

Owner Michael Gotziaman effortlessly blends his passion for art and his background in industrial design at Onepointsix Design (878 Homer St., 604-684-0478; onepointsix.com,), a minimalist art-and-furniture gallery. His low-slung coffee tables and slender desks in sophisticated materials like Lucite, walnut and stainless steel are gorgeously juxtaposed with rotating exhibits -- photographs, paintings and sculptures by both international and local artists.

Husband-and-wife globetrotters David and Johanna Duprey have turned their passion for backpacking into a retail business. Located in a century-old converted factory, Honeycomb Interiors (2329 Granville St., 604-261-3210; honeycombinteriors.com) offers exotic furnishings from around the world. From mango wood screens and teak beds to rosewood armoires fronted with antique window frames, each piece can be customized to your taste. Accessories include pillows and bedspreads made from silk saris, wooden mirrors, hand-blown glass lanterns and jharokhas (ornate hand-carved Indian frames).

Irma McInnis, owner of Dream Designs (956 Commercial Dr., 604-254-5012; 800-663-5012; dreamdesigns.ca), was one of the first people to manufacture futons in Canada. Twenty-three years later, she still makes a lot of her own products, but has moved to items like custom-made draperies and organic mattresses. The best thing about the store is that all of the products -- from organic crib sheets to buckwheat bolsters -- are 100 per cent natural. It's the perfect store for any environmentally savvy shopper.

At Mahonia Floral Works (7211 Gilbert Rd., 604-739-1230; mahonia.ca), owner and trained artist Rekha Mölleken makes unique, vibrant arrangements that take centre stage. To show customers artistic ways to use flowers at home, every two weeks Rekha creates a new dining room setting dressed with stunning floral arrangements. The store's specialty? The French Water bouquet, a 12-inch-high bundle of your choice of flowers; the stems are wrapped in a water-filled cellophane bag and last seven to 10 days -- a super gift idea.

After several years of travelling and living in Asia, adventurers Daniel Poulin and Michael Bennett couldn't wait to get back home to share their new-found appreciation for Asian aesthetics. Their store, Peking Lounge (83 East Pender St., 604-844-1559; pekinglounge.com), showcases fabulous handmade antique Chinese furniture in a hip, modern setting for a look Michael describes as “chic Chinese.” Look for statues of Buddha, ancient armoires and trunks, leather hat boxes, paper lanterns and more.

Looking for ultramodern and natural decor accessories? Step inside Simple (3638 Main St., 604-877-0323), where beautiful silk and linen pillows -- hand-embroidered by owner and artist Kelly Deck -- are among the store's offerings. Boasting a spare, sleek design, Simple carries a hip mix of products, including fragrance-free pillar candles from Silver Bay, ivory glazed-stoneware bowls by Janaki Larsen, and teak and stainless-steel trays by This Is It. Also, the store's bridal registry includes special requests from the in-house textile and ceramic studio.

entreNous Interiors (1088 Homer St., 604-688-4424; entrenousinteriors.com) is well known for showcasing classic contemporary furniture in elegantly accessorized settings. Designer sofas and chairs abound, as well as accents like cocktail tables, mirrors and curio cabinets. Lots of fabric and finishing options make custom ordering a breeze. The store also offers window treatments and an interior design service.