Moving along to Westboro, about half a block off the main Richmond Road shopping strip is a small gem, Distinctively Fine Furnishings (412 Churchill Ave. N., 613-729-5956; distinctivelywood.com). Owner Luc Faucon stocks modern, high-quality furniture, mostly from small Canadian manufacturers, including hard-to-find items such as wall beds and mosaic-topped patio tables. Keep an eye out for multifunctional sofas by Quebec's LucyAu. The upstairs display area, complete with bay window and fireplace, is laid out like a real apartment.
Modern with a smile might be the best way to characterize many of the pieces at Vice Versa (50 Montcalm St., Gatineau, Que., 819-595-0006; viceversa.ca). From candy-coloured chairs to whimsical prints, this is the place to come if you're stylish but not obsessed with earth tones (although there are plenty of beige and taupe pieces, too). Prices are reasonable, custom ordering is easy and the staff is ultra friendly.
If you still can't resist the lure of the Byward Market, Phillip Van Leeuwen (10 Byward Market, 613-562-0700; artoffurniture.com) is an airy, multilevel showroom stocked with modern pieces for every room in the house. The store is known for an exclusive selection of eye-catching lighting fixtures and for Le Corbusier-designed chairs and other pieces manufactured under licence by Italy's Cassina.
A few blocks away, tiny Laras (55 William St., 613-241-8948) offers a touch of the exotic with accessories from around the world: African masks and Indonesian wood carvings, carved dragons from Bali, Chinese cushion covers and other finds. World music CDs and incense sticks help you complete the mood.
Image courtesy of Ottawa Tourism, photography by Misty Hovey
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