Umbra Store

So angry at Umbra Concept Store 165 John Umbra. I got the black pump with the cork top it Broke within 10 days call to get an exchange they get all my info tell me to come today. I call before I came to make sure it’s all good to go wake up and once I get to the John street store they are out of stock. Why the fuck did I come out of my way on my holiday for an exchange for an item you sold out of ??? So mad this sucks !!!

I love coming here even if I don’t need anything. The space itself is inviting and they always have beautiful displays! Their selection of photo frames is especially great, but you’ll also find stylish kitchen, bathroom, office accessories as well as a few larger furniture items upstairs. It’s a Canadian company and it feels good to support Canadian designers. Also, the staff have always been helpful, friendly, and not pushy whenever I’ve been here. The price point is reasonable too.

Interesting store. I love the design and thought put to SOME of the creation that they had on display when we went. Its aesthetically pleasing to say the least. Cleanliness on point.
Its a rather big place but they weren’t over saturated with stuff like other places so its easy to appreciate the items and ponder over the not-​so-​cheap prices. I mean, 8 $ on a tiny ring holder? please… I could find one that will cost 1 – 3 $. Just saying.
Question is, would I go back? Well… I bought a soap dispenser here for 10 $ just because I was very fond of it… I never been so into a soap dispenser before, lol… so its a half yes (just to see new stuff) and half no since its rather basic in the end and some items you can find elsewhere for a much affordable find. i know it wont be the same because of the design that makes umbra unique but if your willing to splurge on the functionality and the craftsmanship of it then by all means you go spend at umbra!

I was here a week ago and took advantage of their buy 2 get one free offer and bought some kitchen accessories. Umbra’s product are attractive and cleverly design and relatively reasonably priced.
I unfortunately bought a defective soap dispenser and had to return to the store for an exchange. I was there mid-​day on a Tuesday and I was the only customer in the store. One of the three staff members eventually came up to the front cash to serve me, she seemed very disinterested and a bit pissey, not a hi, hello or how are you. Anyways I explained that the soap dispenser I bought wasn’t working and would like to exchange for another one. I went to grab another dispenser and asked if I could test it out with water which she gave me a rude look and I proceeded to walk to the back of the store to find a restroom.
I came back to the counter where the exchange was done at the cash register. I asked if I could get another bag as the bag I brought it in had soap leaked into it. She gave another sigh and gave me a bag which I had to bag the item myself.
When I left she basically ignored me and never said goodbye or apologized about the inconvenience or the defective product — she was so rude! I can’t imagine her dealing with multiple customers.
When I got home I noticed that the chrome dispenser tube was bent off centered (just a minor cosmetic fault), but I didn’t care and didn’t want to deal with such rude attitude.
If you shop there, be sure to examine the product carefully and try to get served by the gentlemen working in the store (and not the downer portly girl with the long black hair), they are much nicer and makes you feel that your business is appreciated when you leave the store.

Everything Umbra here! I found the items at this flag ship store cheaper than the same Umbra item at Home Outfitters or any other retailer. So if its convenient, definitely worth to buy it here.
Sales people are very nice and attentive. Helped me go up and down, up and down the elevator with my stroller. It’s not a normal elevator, a bit slow and annoying to push button and turn key but at least they made it accessible.

Buyer beware. I bought an item online and it took a long time to ship. When it arrived, the box was kicked in and the bowl damaged. It was flimsy in construction and not packed in its own box. Emails to 2 customer service reps not answered!

I LOVE this store!
A one-​stop shop for all things Umbra… decorative and functional. *Love*
I will be back to get some of the wall hangings and fun kitchenware.
It’s NOT expensive… in fact, really quite affordable for great design

I love Umbra! It’s such a cleaver little place with all it’s simple modern designs. I will agree with Taylor O. and reiterate that it’s products (not the store) are kind of like a Canadian take on Ikea. They have a pretty consistent line of products in pretty simple bold colours.
The staff is super friendly and if you are going to a housewarming this is the place to go to get some fantastic goods. The hidden bookshelves are probably my favourite item.
Tip: They have annual warehouse sales in December at the Direct Energy Centre or the Automotive Centre.

Modern accompaniments for a one-​up on IKEA. I have always been a fan of Umbra’s gear sold in small modern gift stores all over. Count my lucky stars we’ve got a flagship store in Toronto which has some pretty decent sales; check the interwebs for occasional ½ off coupons. Moving up to the T Dot I was in need of something other than the typical IKEA suite of items and Umbra provided well, with stylish home accessories from trash cans, to Karim Rashid design chairs and whatnot, cool clocks, side tables, soap holders and more.

This store is an interesting place to check out trendy stuff for your house. Mostly for the bathroom and kitchen as another reviewer noted. I think it is a fun store but kind of pricey for what they sell. Also, I bought one of their soap dispensers and it clogged up and couldn’t be fixed. I emailed the store but no response. So overall, not great customer service for the price.

I love the umbra concept store a lot for the leisurely time-​killing stroll. I;ve loved umbra designs forever so I almost died when I set foot in the concept store a few years ago.
By way of actual things you can buy, I have never bought anything there. I am aware the markup is insane. Again, it’s a concept store. I go there to check out their concepts.
My favourite part is definitely the design space upstairs, complete with a 3d printer. It’s always fun and creative, and I love talking to the people who are designing and checking out the printer in action.
It’s an awesome place to hang and take friends – it’s honestly more of a gallery or museum to me than an actual store.

I’m not sure I understand the concept of a concept store. I probably understand less the concept of Umbra; every item is practically tattooed with a conspicuous sense of Design and ultra-​modern self-​awareness. Sure, they have furniture and housewares. And yes, one can purr at the clever marriage of function and aesthetic in each piece. But to put it simply: I don’t need a garbage can that’s cooler than I am, thanks. I have enough problems. And for HOW much? Get outta here.
Obligatory Title Pun: Why so glUM, BRAh?
Menu Readability: Na-​na-​na-​na-​na-​na-​not applicable.
Need to mention: Seriously, this place is a designer’s wet dream.
What this place teaches me about myself: The other day my trash can told me to «step off.» Ouch.

This store was recommended by a friend. They did not turn out to have anything I needed, but it was a pleasant place. The stuff is sort of like Ikea but more interestingly designed and a bit more solid. I would agree with some of the reviewers on the fairly high markups but they did have a good sized clearance selection when I was there.
My main disappointment is that the big pink wall seems to promise three or four shopping levels but there were only two. Most of the stuff here is for bathrooms, kitchens and perhaps college dorm rooms. I would like to have a seen a bigger place with a bit more variety — there are too many bathroom accessories and too little for the office/​study/​etc. Also, given the bright pink exterior, most of the products are not quite as colourful as one might expect.

My brother designs for Umbra, so I’d never buy anything from this store. Not because of some sibling rivalry or anything, but because I know how much of a mark-​up is on everything.
But.
It is a cool store.
A big pink block full of all kinds of super cool stuff for your house that isn’t boring. Even though it is pretty expensive, it’s a great place to go if you want to jazz up your boring bathroom, just a little, with a cool shower curtain or toothbrush holder.
(I just used cool three times in that sentence, so I guess what I’m trying to say is… it’s cool).
But it’s not the place to go to get a cheap shower caddy.

The Umbra store is a great place to get some sweet wares for your house — especially if you’re sick of buying the same coffee table from IKEA that all of your friends have.
I bought my friend a really nice dark wood jewellery box from Umbra this weekend for $ 35 which I thought was a pretty fair price for such a unique piece. However, I have to say I didn’t find everything in there overly affordable. Some of the stuff even seemed pretty over-​priced ($ 45 salad tongs!)
But for a boutique-​y store in Queen West it’s not surprising that they’re over charging a bit. And their stuff is definitely unique. As Vanessa V said, it’s full of bright colours, plastic and that kind of clean and minimalistic conceptual store layout that makes you want to buy one of everything so your house will look just the same. If you have some cash to burn, this is a great place to do it, but if you want some more affordable pieces, you might want to visit the Swedish mega-​store.

this is one of many industrially designed, mass produced, crap-​selling stores that’s ruining queen west. unfortunately, i kind of love it. karim rashid’s design aesthetic is very cutesy– lots of plastics and bright colours. the umbra store displays a lot of unique fabrications and cute little housewares you’d be pressed to find anywhere else.
i agree with almost all of dane’s review below, except the bit about pricing. if you’re not used to canadian prices, you’ll notice that prices here are 15−20% higher than umbra products in the US, plus there’s that awful 15% sales tax. so you will end up shelling out quite a bit, but as a concept store it’s very nice.

What a cool store!
I love Umbra… This is their concept store. I think it’s the only store they actually have, actually.
The lights in this place are cool. I uploaded pictures of them I liked them so much.
Umbra products are pretty cool… Stylish stuff that usually fills some organizational or furniture void. I picked up a nice (teak?) tray that allows me to glam out in the bath tub with its built in magazine holder as well as my wine glass or tea cup holder…
Pricing here is pretty reasonable. Maybe it seemed reasonable because I’ve only really ever seen most of their stuff at smaller boutique stores where the markup is high anyway.
In the trendy Queen Street West shopping district… Which is worth checking out on its own!
The most comparable thing I can think of in the US would be the MOMA store in NYC.