We have an opening for a Part-time Assistant Manager. The position commences May 1st and would require a commitment of 20 hours/week.  Must be able to work either Saturdays or Sundays.

Responsibilities include:  retail sales, general administrative duties, book keeping, costing and data entry of inventory, merchandising, and maintaining general upkeep of the store. The applicant must be able to ensure high levels of customer service and support, exceptional product knowledge, and accuracy in all transactions, inventory, and procedures.

The ideal candidate must have a passion for design and a good knowledge of contemporary design. Previous administrative and retail experience is a must. Experience gained in the furniture or design industry would be a definite asset. Education or experience in a creative field (such as architecture, interior design, graphic design, industrial design, art, film, etc.) is a plus. Additionally, you must be fluent in Mac computer applications, and have the ability to move light to medium weight furniture.

Hourly wage is negotiable based upon previous experience.

To apply please submit your resume in person or by email at shop@vanspecial.com

Attn: Anne Pearson

No phone calls please.

Winner of the 2011 Wallpaper design award and the Swedish Elle Design Deco award!

We sourced these on a recent trip to Copenhagen and fell in love with the simple design and the gorgeous lacquer finish.

The STEP stepladder designed by Karl Malmvall is handsome enough to be a piece of furniture, rather than just an utility to be stowed in the closet after use. He even added a hook for placing it on the wall, always within reach: “We have more and more stuff in our homes, electrical gadgets, kitchen appliances, etc. We use our apartments from the floor all the way up to the ceiling. I want to leave the stepladder readily available on the wall, instead of hiding it away in a closet.”

Available in 3 high gloss finishes: white, red and black.

Dimensions folded (HxWxD): 132 x 45 x 5 cm (4′ 4″ x 1′ 6″ x 2″)

Price: $299.99

Thanks everyone for the great turnout at last night’s Party for Architects! Guest speakers were Gair Williamson and Chris Woodford. Next party is July 7th! Hope to see you there.

We just found out that one of our favourite architects will be speaking in Vancouver on Thurs. Nov 25th at the Terminal City Club.
Bjarke Ingels is a young Danish architect who is one of the best lecturers out there today. Apart from his architecture, we also love him for his industrial design projects with KiBiSi. These include the “Shanghay” chair which he designed for  HAY that we will have in stock soon, as well as the AIAIAI headphones that are a top-seller here at VS.

His firm BIG.DK produces some of the most seductive graphics out there. This is a lecture not to be missed!

Brought to you by the Urban Land Institute as part of the series “The City in 2050: Making it Happen.”
More info on how to register here.

The following event is being organized by the great people at The Vancouver Heritage Foundation:

Get inside six recently completed laneway houses in Vancouver!
Saturday, December 11, 2010 1 pm – 5 pm
$50 + hst ($25 tax receipts issued upon request)

Lane houses have arrived. We see them popping up all over the city, and six of them are opening to the public December 11th. Laneway housing is an option for owners of older homes in some historic neighbourhoods, to create rental income while densifying and improving their property.

Get some ideas for building a lane house, or just come to see what the buzz is all about.

* 500 – 750 square feet of creative rental living space
* 1 – 2 bedroom homes
* Both traditional and modern designs
* Project teams will be on site to talk to visitors (Architrix, Lanefab, Smallworks, Tandem Lanehouse Company)
* Creatively furnished for the tour by ‘Fluff’
* Enjoy hot chocolate, cookies and Christmas lights

The Laneway House Tour is a fundraising event for the Vancouver Heritage Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to creating new life for old buildings.

Get your tickets here.

Thanks to local designer Christian Woo for the shout out in Western Living Magazine!

He picked  our book “Birth of the Cool” as one of the things he loves. It’s also one of our favourite books in the store –  featuring the best of California mid-century design from art to music to furniture to architecture. Edited by Elizabeth Armstrong, it’s the companion to an exhibit of the same name which made its debut at the Orange Country Museum of Art in 2007. Published by Prestel, the hardcover edition is $72 and the perfect addition to your coffee table stack.