Old Faithful Shop

Beautiful store with a calm atmosphere and kind staff, full of Nordic design, homewares, books, ceramics and more. Always a pleasant shop and a lovely local!

I was a little nervous about having plates and glasses shipped as we all know how Canada post handles their packages. The order arrived timely and safely. They really do their best at making sure their orders are safe for transit. 5 stars bravo!!

Absolutely love this shop and especially this location. Staff are super friendly and the vibes are immaculate. Best selection of slow, well-made home goods. Even if most of them are out of my price range, it's like visiting a museum -- I always feel a bit more creative and inspired after being inside.

Beautiful space selling absolutely wonderfully curated pieces. Staff was also very friendly and did not hesitate to help package the vase I purchased so it’s safe to be transported in a luggage. Glad I stumbled upon this shop on my travels, will be back again!

Every now and then, you come across a shop that goes beyond just selling products... and starts creating an atmosphere and experiences around those products. Old Faithful is one of those stores. Japanese design and culture embedded in most of their offering. Tastefully done, with a great eye for aesthetic. Will definitely get back there.

Finally visited in person after finding this gem online over a two years ago. Amazing curated selection of art, kitchen items, and books. Their scent products are also unique and lovely. Wish they had a store in Toronto!!

What an amazing store. It's easy to get lost in the tranquil simplicity that exudes in this space. The owner has carefully curated unique items that fit a modern and clean palette. Brands like Kinto are hard to find in Canada and this Shop carries a stunning array of their products. I was looking for a thoughtful gift and the staff were quick to provide their assistance and expertise. It's a good thing I don't live here; although, their online storefront is awfully tempting too.

Cool store! Great staff at least one person in particular(didn’t ask his name), helped pull out some larger sized lamps from the back that weren’t on display. We spoke about house design and he educated me on Verner Panton. They didn’t have exactly what I wanted, but ended leaving with 3 books(i never buy books) and a lemon juicer. We found some inspiration for our home design and will definitely be back!

This shop is really really really cool. It is a great place to buy someone a gift. Everything here is like Japanese themed. They have a lot of stuff good for a home. This place is definitely expensive, would not recommend if you're broke, I'm not though. But yea I bought a soap shaped as a fish. I thought this was the coolest thing ever, I've never seen that before. Yea I paid $50 CAD for a soap. Yea that's absolutely ridiculous and yes you can call me stupid BUT at least it's cool though, amirite. Also, it smells good. But yea it's a gift, however I think I need to come back here and buy one for me. I think this is one of the coolest shops in gastown, this isn't a place you're going to read a review for and go, you just kinda walk into it like I did. Also, this place has really good books, I ended up buying the same book I saw here on amazon for half the price. But hey, at least I bought that fish soap.

Old Faithful is one of those shops that is merchandised so well where if you remove something off of a shelf someone else could tell exactly what you moved. I have been to the Old Faithful shop many times and it hasn't disappointed. It is very true to their theme of artisan, home-made or well-crafted-and-the-woodsy-bent items, which speaks to a particular customer. Some may love this shop and others may find it expensive and too specific to integrate into their personal style. I appreciate the care in the selection of the goods and the kindness of the employees. The first time I was in the shop (being overwhelmed by the visuals) I just bought several journals. When I got home, I realized that I wanted more and ordered them by phone because they don't use their website for special orders. They were very nice and when the package arrived, it was beautiful. Brown paper package, tied up with string... no kidding. This time I bought a huge wool blanket that I thought I could fit in my luggage (I couldn't) and it made a perfect gift. The thing about the blanket purchase was how much banter I had the the employees while I was purchasing it. While we were talking, THEY referenced that I had bought the journals the previous year. What memory. Their attention to detail gets me every time. I will always go back to Old Faithful when I am in Vancouver... whether or not I can fit what I buy into my luggage.

Really? This super cool shop was here this whole time and I didn't know about it?! Stepping in, I was transported to the Great Outdoors. Fir incense burning, cabin like interior, and a large table of cacti. It was cool. Then I wandered through the store and realize how great their items were. Cute porcelain bottles, books, lamps, notebook..all displayed on natural wood tables and shelves. There's a table of all different scented French candles. Love them. Staff is friendly and pretty cool. Very unique items, a perfect place to pick up gifts.

Great selection of curated items here - a lot of things that are hard to find in Vancouver. Be wary of prices here though - they have massive markups!! For example a jar of maraschino cocktail cherries was selling for 34.99 here and as readily available on various Canadian websites for around 20 bucks!! Come here to find cool stuff then order it online instead of getting ripped off!

Old Faithful Shop just opened in Gastown! I wandered in yesterday to see a wonderful collection of "items for daily life" as the owner Walter described it. A great space with items from notebooks, to home decor items to dreamcatchers and candles from France. My coveted item: the tomato scented candle - amazing! A great addition to Gastown!

Old Faithful is an up scaled, old-skool variety shop stocked with home grown goods. We dropped by to pick up some Rocanini coffee. They were supposed to be doing a demo, but we found only the product and the stylin' mesh filter with the beautiful glass beaker that encourages the pour over method. I forget what they call the set, but it's an art piece by itself. The shop has a lot of great merchandise and local market products displayed with creativity. Really, check it out, it's a gorgeous shop in a(n) historic building that has been respectfully restored with a breath of new life. I walked around with my jaw dropped I was so impressed.

I highly recommend shopping at this store it has some of the best costumer service I've ever received. With plenty of beautiful products to chose from and quick shipping you can't go wrong.

I recently purchased a book from this shop. When I declined to enter my personal information into their system the cashier refused to give me a receipt for my purchase. She then proceeded to tell me that without the receipt I could not return the book.

Ha. just came back from this shop. I never write reviews but today for some reason I feel like I have to. Mostly for my own amusement. So what is with the attitude of the shopkeepers/sales dudes? Whatever they were, not impressed. This is something I noticed from my travels but whenever I check out artisanal/handmade/small batch (NOT local, imported) Brooklyn wanna-be specialty stores outside of NYC, people who work there act like they're better than the customers. The bearded guy was OK but the blonde guy asks me if I was from, in his words, "but like New York, New York?? or upstate NY?" THEN asks me if I was actually born and raised in the city or if I'm just conveniently calling myself a New Yorker after only living there for a couple of years. So amused. I'm cracking up because New Yorkers being rude is just a common misconception. Can't be further from the truth. The general attitude of the people from the east coast is plain REAL. Not rude or condescending. There's a big difference. So just please do everyone a favor and stop pretending if you actually want people to buy stuff from your store that they can pretty much get from somewhere else *cough* online *cough*. No one cares about how "cool" you are. Nicely curated though?

I'm updating this review to reflect action that was taken by the store owner to remedy my complaint. Shortly after posting this, I was contacted directly by the owner to ask for the opportunity to make things right. I accepted his offer and a replacement catch was sent to me on May 10th, which arrived the following day. I appreciate the care that was taken to follow up and have this sent out, and as such I'm upgrading this review from 1 star to 3 stars. While I wish this could've been handled when I first made contact, in the end it did work out. Original review below: Sadly I'm having to put a 1 star review. On April 21st I purchased the Fellow Ode Brew grinder from this shop because they had the lowest price in town, with tax I paid $431.15 so not exactly a small amount of money. This is clearly a luxury retailer with high end items, as such I expect an equivalent experience and customer service to match. That however, wasn't the case for me. I've owned the grinder for 19 days now, and unfortunately the magnetic base from the catch has detached. This means that the paint coating is also being stripped from the catch and is continuing to get worse with each use (which now requires a lot of fiddling to make sure it's placed properly to catch the grinds). Clearly this is a defect of the product, so I called the shop to ask if they would exchange the catch for a new one, which I thought was a reasonable enough request. The person who answered my call was extremely polite and professional as well as apologetic for the defect. As much as I appreciate this, what I was really looking for was an immediate resolution to my problem. She informed me that she wasn't able to do an exchange, and after me pressing a bit she said she'd contact the manager to ask for guidance. After about 20 mins I received a call back and she informed me that the manager would not exchange the catch for me. While they did offer to deal with the manufacturer to arrange for a warranty replacement, I declined their offer since it would just put another layer in the process. I'm perfectly capable of logging a support request myself with Fellow, but given the short amount of time I've owned the product, my expectation was to come to the shop today for an exchange. Terribly disappointed at the lack of a convenient resolution being offered from a store that should be providing better customer service than a McDonald's or a Bestbuy. Won't be back.

Man, this place is such a hipster scam. A whole bunch of new stuff, deliberately manufactured to look old and vintage, all done up with some twee twine and hey, wouldn't that anvil look great in my apartment? I know. I know it's silly. But I don't care. This store caters to precisely the kind of hipster douchebag that I am - or, more precisely, that I envision myself to be. I would punch myself in the face if my apartment were outfitted the way that this place is, yet I still want my apartment to look like Old Faithful. I know that, if I were to buy a single item in this store and display it in my home, it would look like a piece of junk because - once removed from its context - it would just be a stupid Mason jar, or leather flyswatter, or faux-old-timey shaving set. And yet I want the pointless little individual object any way. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE. This store is the Matrix. No, that's not it. I am capitalism's biggest dupe. That's more like it. I've only ever bought some of their soaps, because they smell wonderful. Oh, and I've made a mental note regarding my home decor: "replace all light bulbs with old-timey-looking light bulbs - the long, phallic kind where you can see the little electrical squiggle inside." Yeah! Who's going to throw the coolest vinyl party on the block NOW, you guys??? Seriously, though - I like this store. I like the way it smells, I like walking into it, I like touching all the little knick-knacks, the staff are very friendly, and Jean-Pierre, the in-store dog, is cute. How my (and, I imagine, other customers) abstractly liking and touching things translates into a sustainable business model, I don't know. I don't care. But I'm glad the store is there.

Even though a lot of the merchandise appeared to be replicas made to look old, it was a general character of the store that made the area unique from all the regular Canadian souvenir shops surrounding it. I have no problem paying a lot for something unique, however, when it's simple items re-packaged nicely for 4 times as much, the wallet seems hurting. The butter tray looked like something that you could buy at Zellers for of the cost. Put the two items side by side and you would see no difference. It really comes down to genius marketing and packaging. I understand that real estate is high in the hood and sometimes prices have to justify that, however, if they're aiming for unique products, they really need to set themselves more apart in regards to in store merchandise. When I shop and drop money, it's about the entire experience over all from the ambience, décor, staff and product. I wasn't feeling the vibe of the owner which was a turn off. My girlfriend and I were joking about how his dog fit the décor and how charmed I was with some of the items, however, he seemed snotty and acted like he didn't give two shits that my GF and I were enchanted with the store. Maybe he thought we were just window shopping and didn't want to bother with us. In part we were window shopping, however, there were two bars of soap that I really wanted to get and it still bugs me that I buy them. I have a problem buying from people whose aura doesn't ring positive. Perhaps he was having a bad day, however, you would think that two awesome girls appreciating and being enchanted with some of the cool stuff would brighten your day, I guess not. The décor and the ambience was unique and cool and worth a walk in just to experience.

As Robin astutely stated, Old Faithful's owner once ran a tumblr of the same style and variety as his shop curates. His taste is quaint, practical, old fashioned, and hip, as are all the articles in this store. And then he practically runs a physical manifestation of his tumblr service, and you get to own a peice of that style for an absolutely ridiculous mark up. If you are truly meticulous about your purchases and keep them to a minimal, you can source everything they sell for much lower prices at other retail outlets. ' If you want to be lost in a retail experience of antiquity and hipness, feel free to wander around for a while. I really did enjoy the smell of their balsam fir incense. I don't really enjoy the prospect of buying teas, honeys, and chocolates for far more than their value. Also, you would think with such a mark up they wouldn't be sticklers about pennys. I shorted them 3 cents on the $10 incense and they looked at me as if I was homeless. Ha!

LOVE THIS STORE! their tea selection, incense and mens shaving kits are to die for! The stores product and atmosphere reflects on the vintage country vibe that in many ways have been lost from societies current values, and by encompassing that, Old Faithful is a refreshing change. Home decor, tea, fashion, mens products, incense and many many more - check them out!

I could spend a whole day just going through every item they carry. Basically the modern version of an old timey general store. They carry goods for the home as while as pantry items, knick knacks and personal care. I can't really express how much fun it is to be in this store. If you haven't visited, definitely take the time to do so. Some prices are on the higher side, but if you know what you want it's more than fair. The owners are also great small business people, so I like to support them! If little man, the French Bulldog, Jean-Pierre is in the store- make sure you pet him! He loves it behind the ears and on the belly! One of my favorite shops in Vancouver.

Old Chum is one of my all time favourite Tumblrs. Looking through the pages and pages of its posts is like digging through stacks upon stacks of unorganized books only to find that each one is as much a jewel as the last. A paragon of Canadiana of the long forgotten past, Old Chum is refreshingly on-point with its simple and well-curated images. But my love-fest doesn't stop there: just so happens that the curator of said blog is also a Gastown shop owner. Lucky me. Lucky Vancouver. Old Faithful is the physical manifestation of Old Chum. One part home furnishings store, one part stationary shop, all parts awesome, Old Faithful believes that personal style has a reach that goes well beyond ones clothes. Focusing on good-looking, well-made, and functional wares, this is the only shop in Vancouver where I can buy filters for my beloved Chemex coffeemaker. Even better, Walter just introduced me to a fine disposable alternative: the Kone, a metal filter made specifically for the Chemex by Coava Coffee in Portland. Eco-nomical and eco-friendly, yes? With its high ceilings, old wood floors, sparsely-displayed items, and a small cabin to show off the incredible features of the 100 year old space, Old Faithful isn't just here for good looks. Value of aged objects is their game, and I'm in for the long haul.

Incredible and beautiful home decor. Always smells lovely and the staff are distant but helpful (meaning they don't pester you when you walk in the door, but if you have a question they'll answer it and then back off). The prices are a little out of my range but I would certainly save up for that perfect piece (a hanging terrarium!!). Most/all of their stuff is sustainable or reclaimed or organic or all-natural. Very very awesome mandate.

The most memorable component of Old Faithful for me is one of the staff member's whimsical tattoos: Normal Rockwell-esque cats, one gray and one orange, balancing on a unicycle and holding balloons. If I ever get a tattoo, I will do something similar as an homage to my gray tabby, an eternal symbol of love for life. Anyway, I found the store expensive and sparse overall. I bought some soap. One bar, called Logger's Delight, sums up my father if I were to describe him with a scent. The bar I currently am bathing with, Fever Grass, is delicious but doesn't become as fragrant as I would like when I suds it up. Per the price, it should fill my bathroom and linger on my skin for at least a few minutes. I need to decide where I would put the tattoo.

One word: Donny (he is insanely entertaining!) Awesome customer service, well curated selections, and a beautiful space with old wood floors, brick walls, and brass & glass display cases. Come here because you forgot your cologne and want to try something new (D R Harris, D S & Durga). Come here because you want to perfect gift (Faribault wool blankets). Come here because you want Savannah to recommend/help create a unique terrarium. Come here because you want a beautiful lamp to compliment and enhance your abode (Bell Jar Lamp) and perhaps throw in an Edison light bulb into your basket while you're at it. Come here and have a great time!

This place screams PORTLAND (which is a good thing). They have a solid and unique selection of general goods which includes but not limited to coffee swag, mazma mugs, funky lightbulbs, and growler carriers. Yes, their products are pricey. But you get what you pay for - it's worth it. We need more stores like this. Street parking is provided in front of the store. If you're a coffee lover, Timbertrain is located right across the street and Revolver is located just around the corner (two of the best coffee shops in Vancouver).

Old Faithful's new vintage-looking wares give off that hipster-friendly vibe that I like to marinate in. Succulents, cacti, terrariums - I don't care how popular they get, I will always love them. Wire locker baskets. Kitchen enamelware. Reclaimed wood crates. You get the drift? I would've given the place a higher rating pre-visit to The Pirate Store and Paxton Gate in San Francisco, but sorry, those shops are so much more current and in-the-know about what overprivileged and original-in-a-non-original-way people are into.

This store goes out of the way to accommodate shoppers. I am beyond amazed at the customer service and willingness to help. I highly recommend this company. With so many beautiful products to choose from you will love your shopping experience. We ordered the iga mono donabe for cooking and we love it!

How could I have missed this place for so long? They've been open since May but my eyes weren't open apparently. Awesome, friendly staff, and cute things everywhere. I ended up with outdoorsy-smelling incense (just can't get enough of Vancouver, even inside) and a specialty lavender soap from Port Townsend. Very good place for grabbing last-minute gifts or home goods.

This super cute store has a Portland sensibility to it. From the aesthetic to the plethora of Portland brands, I felt like I was back in Stumptown. There are lots of great gift items including a wonderful selection of cookbooks, candles, food items and blankets. The customer service is warm and friendly.

I went to visit Old Faithful after a long hunt for a certain type of planter pot. I ended up walking away with two cylindrical terracotta planter pots for $55 (they also sold the pots painted white, but it was cheaper to buy them plain, sand them down, and spray paint them myself). Considering similar ceramic planter pots cost $75+ a piece online, and the fact that I had been looking for these pots for months, I was happy to fork over the money. The friendly staff let me purchase the pots, then come back a couple hours later to pick them up with my car. While this store isn't cheap, it's a lovely space and their goods are beautifully curated. Worth checking out to browse or shop for a special someone.

I liked this store SO much - I had to share my experience with others. After a recent trip to Europe, I have been looking for unique, non-mainstream Vancouver stores for clothing, design and lifestyle. I happened upon Old Faithful by accident, they have been in Gastown since May - and I immediately fell in love with the cool space, Jean Pierre (the mascot English Bulldog), and the great service. The really unique items in the store have been hand picked with pure love. Perfect for a cool gift for someone, or for some treats for yourself. My fav item? The French candles, great notebooks, cool bags, fantastic soaps...funky tape, thank you cards - I could go on. Well done. If I had to choose a store to suit my style, this store and The Cross in Yaletown are bang on!

Very cool retro type items, a little pricey but not too bad considering location. Would be a great place to pick up a birthday present for someone that appreciates fine retro items. Fun place to browse and friendly, helpful staff.

A great store to browse through and find very unique knick knack items and gifts. A little pricey, but then again...where else are you going to find these items. Anything from a beard brush, to a hanging planter, to Italian hand towels. This store is a great stop over for gift shopping

The selection of plants, pots and home goods is always changing. Each item seems to be perfectly curated to meet the needs and taste of the shops clientele. Donny is by far the best shop keeper I've met. Kind, generous and thoughtful - he's that type of guy. Please don't ever, ever, ever shop making your beautiful terra-cotta planters. Wish there was one of these shops in Montreal.

Very interesting shop with uniquely curated products. The staff there are extremely helpful and laid back. It is a pleasure to stroll through the shop even if we don't intend to purchase anything - however, it is hard to leave the shop empty-handed. We always end up buying something.

Be careful of the behavior of the manager. I ordered a set of product and paid in advance, the store was to be delivered few weeks after. I had the insurance that if ever something wasn't fitting, i could return them without problem (considering those product would never had left the store!). I came a month later to pick up the products. I couldn't carry one of the huge flower pots due to his weight. Guess what, the manager told me that the return policy is only two weeks. "sorry bro". That store is a sad place. The simplicity of minimalism is fake, the mercantile behavior is still the same

Cute, trendy, fun to browse through, great for tourists. But nothing you really need, and as so many such stores, feels really expensive. Like a mini Restoration Hardware. Call me frugal but I am just not spending $50 on a mug when its made of the same material and has the same basic look as $10 mugs. I honestly really want to know who buys this stuff. Who has all this disposable income? Are these folks debt free and saved for retirement?

I seriously want to buy everything in this store! I love the uniqueness of the items. There is everything from seeds & planters, to soap, to dog leashes & collars. Basically anything you would need to decorate your house you can find here. Very modern old style decor. Definitely check it out if you're in Gastown. It's conveniently across the street from Timber coffee. :)

I really want to like this store.. unfortunately I cannot. I have visited this store a few times now and each time I am (un)weclomed by the same hipster, judgemental vibes- as if I am not cool enough to be in the store. The associate I spoke to was rude and actually made negative comments about my neighbourhood. That isn't exactly the best way to make your customers feel welcome in your store. Although the merchandise is beautifully curated, it is highly overpriced. Why buy there when I can buy the same product from other small business owners elsewhere?

I really liked this store when it first opened. I used to like going there to buy gifts but lately there is very little to buy, there are very few items in the store. There seems to be one item spread out among an entire cabinet making you think that the shelves are full but its all the same stuff. If you shop online you will notice that most everything is sold out and never comes back in stock. I find the staff incredibly rude and pretentious. I really cant believe some of the things they get away with saying to people. The guy with the beard is the worst. He is not interested in sales at all, but more driving people out of the store with his rude comments.

What bothers me about stores like this is when they lie about the origins of their products to give them prestige. For example their enamelware is said to be made in England, but in fact is from China.

I admit, I go to visit Jean Pierre, the adorable French Bulldog who "guards" the store. But while I'm there, I usually end up buying something. They have a really fun selection of household items with an old fashioned style. The high quality of the stock is reflected in the price, so this is not for someone on a tight budget. You can pick up some nice succulents, books and edibles on a smaller budget, but the majority is more for the affluent shoppers. However, the staff treat everyone equally. They are some of the nicest people working in Gastown.

hm. chocolate bars for 12.50 that I can get in the states for 4 dollars. blankets that are more than double the cost online direct from the mill. ridiculous.

what a load of crap store !!! remember when you were a kid and made those crappy "air plant" ornaments by gluing an "air plant" to a piece of log...? some yuppie children decided that they had the only privy childhood ,turned 30 ,and are now attempting to sell my shitty glue log back to me for 29.95, i laughed my ass off when i went in this ignoramus store they have hand crafted boxes painted to look like they-er old , holding handcrafted toothpaste made of dirt with minimalist graphic puke all over it for 12 buks . oh there was a nice lamp fixture that was missing a lamp shade ( designed that way ) for a zillion dollars ! and I'm pretty sure they just found it on the floor when they moved in . the space is so wasted they sell 10 rink dinky yuppie items and make you feel ashamed to be in such an expensive nothing store in the middle of Canada's worst homeless crisis (one block down) ,its sad .... its so bad maybe its an artists wonderful installation .inspired by useless yuppie kids who open nothing stores and sell nothing ,...in my 30 years of putting up with rich kids rolling into this area and "selling their wild oats" this is the worst example of the ignorant shit i have to put up with .... the store sucks ,it brings the whole area to a shitty place ... yuppie " i don't see any homeless people ,whadrutalkingabout ?" town.