Litchfield

Really great store. I wish they had another location in Texas where I do a lot of business. I’m always finding the best magazines in Vancouver here. Great housewares, very affordable pricing for the fine quality. Overall my favourite place to shop! My wife loves it too since the products are very clean in design.

Never has there been more of a need for 0 star functionality on Unilocal than the day I happened across Litchfield. Exceedingly pretentious store with less items than I. Q points of the people patronizing it. I was the woefully unfortunate recipient of a birthday gift from one of the items in their «inventory». I use the word inventory loosely, as their shop comprises the most arbitrary amalgamation of inane animal refuse to ever sully the streets of Gastown. They sell a block of concrete for over 100 dollars. They adorn it with a rope and call it a doorstop. This is the quality of inventory I had to contend with. I tried to return my birthday gift, but to no avail, as they have a zero return policy, another charming part of the experience here at Litchfield. Reasoning with the manager proved to be an exercise in futility as their customer service leaves much to be desired. Street vendors slinging dope out of a cardboard boxes deeply sequestered in the ass end of East Hastings have more redeemable qualities in their salesmanship than this self aggrandizing, elitist skid mark. Shopping here requires a certain suspension of disbelief and brain activity that can be best characterized as being repeatedly and gratuitously tased in my genitals by a violent cattle prod.

I did one of those «accidental updates» when a grammar correction failed to save. But, I will update the update with this dispatch:
I have returned to Litchfield many a time with both real and unreal purpose, and because of my dedication to vegan ethics (and because it’s damn fine), husband and I have fully adopted the grown Grown Alchemist line for our face and body care needs. Unfortunately, the specific items I was after were no longer in stock there, a side effect of rotating and calibrating their inventory to match demand. Which I can’t really complain about, because it’s part of running a business. Again, the shop keep have been so kind and helpful, and of course there are always more «potential future purchase» goodies to discover on my trajectory out of the store. Keep it up guys, and whether you continue to carry it or not, you take the credit for introducing me to possibly the best line of personal care products I’ve encountered in my adult life.
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It would be tempting for some to write Litchfield off as another version of the Minimalist Temple boutiques that dot the neighbourhood, but they rise above the label. And I want to be clear that Minimalist Temples are totally great; what irks me is when I see no evidence of an effort toward distinction in their stock. We are maxed out on places peddling the same «urban ingénue-​turned-​explorer in the wilderness of Northern Oregon» stuff.
Nope, they’ve got it dialled. There are some items you can/​used to find elsewhere, but most are pretty unique to Litchfield and it’s a paradise for gift finding. If you’re haunted by the dead-​end sentence, «I’d like to find a nice…(don’t even know what),» go here first. From personal items to household, if you’re not afraid of spending an appropriate amount on what’s high-​quality, well-​crafted and beautiful it’s hard to walk out with empty hands, or at least some good options in mind. And if you’d entered with the intention of looking for someone else, it’s common to exit with a personal wish list or worse, a new gift for yourself.
Each shop person I’ve interacted with has been so kind and helpful. I visit to get Olo perfume for myself, and in my chat with the fellow at the counter about my favourite scent — which no stockist in the city has, or would order — he offered to order it in when I want to refill. On recommendation from a lady who was working on the day I stopped by in December, I picked up Grown Alchemist skin care (scrub and toner) along with a wallet for my husband. Skin care is a tricky purchase, but based on my description of skin type and needs she assured me it was a great product, and she uses it herself. It is amazing and worth every cent, and if I had a beauty blog or one of those product review YouTube channels I would rave about it constantly.
So, hope this place won’t be leaving us any time soon. It’s niche, special, and I will never feel at a gifting loss so long as it’s around.

I was recommended this place by a friend to get something that was Asian inspired but unique for my mom who has a lot of pieces in her home and statues. Selection was good. It sometimes can get crowded in terms of inventory vs. walking room but over all fun to look at things.

The store was sparse and overpriced for so called quality items. the staff was awful to deal with and the one of the owners was snobby and full of himself.

This is a great shop. I found Litchfield upon reading a recommendation in Monocle magazine. The shop has a well-​curated selection of artisinal living goods. Simple, great design and quality. Seems like a lot of inspiration from Japan and local designers. There are other shops in gastown to check out but I found the items in here the most practical and unique at the same time.