Mjolk

Things are way to expensive. Might as well import your self or buy from Japan.
They should of import Japanese customer service as well… terrible manners and no email replies when promised.

beautiful space filled with one of a kind items. everything is placed with purpose, the interior is so thoughtfully designed and the selection is impeccably curated. i especially loved the candle holders, the modern oil lamps, and the tea and coffee serving sets — this store is filled with items that you will cherish and have for a lifetime. the owners were friendly and helpful and gave us suggestions for other places to visit in the city, which we really appreciated. since we were visiting from out of town, we found one special item that we really wanted but we are definitely looking forward to shopping from their online store in the future. mjolk is a toronto gem.

This store makes me feel like I’ve walked into the MoMA design of everyday objects section. Everything is curated to perfection from Canada, Japan, and Scandinavian countries, everything is displayed as if in a Yohji Yamamoto boutique, and every item looks as if it has been painstakingly yet lovingly created (stick coat hooks, bowls of all kinds). If I ever am the recipient of large funds from a Nigerian internet scam, I will return here and purchase many an item from this store.

I like ramen, I like Swedish meatballs.
I like Muji, I like Ikea.
I like sake, I like vodka.
…despite this, I wouldn’t necessarily think of Japanese and Scandinavian aesthetics together. At Mjolk, however, they are a perfect pairing.
The items for sale here range from the small (thimbles, small vases, scissors) to the large (carpet, furniture). Handmade leather iPad cases that just get better with age. Full-​body sweaters that serve as a sophisticate’s Snuggie.
The owners, John and Juli, are clearly devoted design enthusiasts who network with, and travel to, many locations to source interesting things to add to the Mjolk-​roster.
In many ways, this dedication to the store and everything in it makes Mjolk feel like a gallery: everything is meticulously curated, everything has a place. I walk through the bright white space with a hushed voice, I look carefully, I touch gingerly.
I love setting foot in the store but have only ever made one purchase: the items are pricey. Finely crafted, unique, with character, but… expensive nonetheless. A special store for special occasion purchases.
Unilocal note: I don’t mind paying a premium for things with a story, things that show craftsmanship. To that end, I’ve really enjoyed reading the Mjolk blog that details store updates, travels, and local and cottage renos. A nice way to get to know local business owners and the philosophies behind their stores.

In some of my nighttime reveries, I am wearing dark slacks and a turtlenecked sweater of equivalent shade. I am reading Being and Nothingness through round spectacles. I turn my head. I am in my apartment, but it’s not my apartment. It’s a wonderfully spartan and minimalist space furnished with mid-​century modern Scandinavian furniture. I pick up a glass of charcoal-​filtered glacier water and with one ice cold sip, I wake up.
While I don’t really want to manifest this Teutonic wet dream in reality, if I had to I would come to Mjölk. It’s full of sleek, über-​designed, Nordic and Japanese inspired furniture and accessories. It’s as maddeningly overpriced as it is gorgeous. A pair of «everyday» copper scissors will run you $ 80. A maple pencil case is $ 250. A fucking shoehorn runs $ 350. This isn’t just a furniture store; it’s a one-​percenter bait shop.
In waking life, I will not and cannot shop here. But in the throes of my umlautted dreams, I can be found lucidly sipping from a $ 75 coffee mug. Skål!
Obligatory Title Pun: The MJOLK’s on you.
Menu Readability: Felt coasters: 6 for $ 28.
Need to mention: They carry a line called Fjord Fiesta. LOL! ^_​^
What this place teaches me about myself: I am way too brown to spend $ 145 on a toothpick case. But I can still covet it.

I loved visiting this cool, trendy, fun, simple store. Yes, it’s maybe over the top classy, clean, and has lots of things you don’t need, at a price higher than you’d probably like to pay, but I liked how it celebrated good and interesting design with whimsy. I ended up buying only two notecards, even though I had my eye on other things — kitchenware, dishtowels, and a stool for my apartment. I also chatted with the shopkeepers who, while knew their stuff and seemed passionate about it, were friendly but unobtrusive. If I lived in Toronto, I’m sure I would have walked away with something hip for my apartment!

This store is really fucking stupid.
I walked in during one of my Junction jaunts the other day — and found the clean, modern stuff from the window quite alluring.
They’ve got a lot of really dumb items in here. Like a solid wood figure-​8 to wrap your ipod headphone cords around so they don’t tangle for like, I don’t know $ 30.
The furniture in here looks like a really classy Ikea. About 4x as classy. Maybe 5x. But it’s like…300x more expensive. Value proposition fail.
I asked the lady jokingly, «Have you found business has really picked up since the mainstream popularity of the Girl with The Dragon Tattoo? This is what brought me here». She was obviously repulsed with this remark. We just looked at each other in silence awkwardly for about 10 seconds and she said modern furniture is generally popular.
Ohhh wow, check out my ergonomic, aesthetic, and utilitarian influenced designer wall hooks for coats? It was only $ 1250!
I think this is a great place to shop for assholes.

This store renders me speechless. It’s the designer, over the top, beautiful version of ikea. The art, the housewares, and the furniture make me drool. It’s the kind of store where you catch yourself saying, oh wouldn’t this look good in our living room, and then you remember you can’t afford it and probably need to find the cheap knockoff at IKEA. The good thing about Mjolk is that there are affordable housewares and smaller pieces that would be great as gift for discerning others (or yourself). The staff is super friendly. The store is constantly being featured in design magazines and is worth a browse.

Another phenomenal design and furniture shop in the junction. Run by a scando-​wanna-​be couple, the shop is a well picked collection of Scandinavian and Japanese pieces. The prices are fair and the pieces will last you 8 times longer than anything you pick up at Ikea. The design sensibility is one of the best in the city. And try to find a lovelier couple to chat with — I dare you!
And if you’re too cheap to buy any of their wares, check out their personal blog (
) and feel the inspiration there.