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28 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday November 9, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Asian inspired decor at East Meets West By Melanie Cummings SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Homeowners can travel more than vicariously through East Meets West Home store owner Gonzalo Equioiz's twice-annual business trips to Bali, China, Indonesia and in the future Turkey and Thailand. From wall to wall in his Lakeshore Road West shop in downtown Oakville are the fruits of his laborious searches for antique and reproduction furniture that are more than functional, they are conversation pieces in their own right. While strolling through the two-level showroom, stories about each piece of hardwood furniture unfold ­ its birthplace, historic purpose and current possibilities. Consider an eye-catching red `pillow box' from south China that was a hiding place for personal treasures for centuries. It has a concave lid, which is where the owner could lay their head while sleeping and doubly keep their worldly goods close by and safe. East Meets West Home is also a tactile experience that prompts an irresistible desire to pull open drawers and doors, to examine the craftsmanship, imagine the RON KUZYK / OAKVILLE BEAVER A TOUCH OF THE EAST: East meets West Home store owner Gonzalo Equioiz sits in his downtown Oakville store surrounded by the furniture he picked for his customers during buying trips to Bali, China, and Indonesia. storage and display possibilities and how best to showcase the talents of furniture makers a world away. Equioiz completely understands such behaviour. He does the same while on buying trips. "I ask as many questions as I can when I'm buying, so that I can pass on all of the information," said Equioiz, who hand picks each item in his extensive inventory that ranges from the simple to the ornate and the modular to the curvaceous. Like his customers, Equioiz gets up close and carefully examines the inside and outside, ensuring each one of the pieces live up to his and his client's standards. It was his love of classic furniture that has eclectic shapes that drew Equioiz into this business almost two years ago. He left a seven-year career in the corporate worlds in Miami and Puerto Rico to realize this retail dream here. The shop's online catalogue has enticed many web visitors, and buyers, keen to view photos of the complete inventory. But two-thirds of his clients are local and plenty are recurring ones. Others drive in from Hamilton, Toronto and London for these one-of-a-kind pieces and because "Oakville is a great place to set up a business," East Meets West Home's prices are 15 to 20 per cent below its Toronto counterparts. Often clients are given a tangible test run in their home and so far, not one piece has ever been returned, said Equioiz. "It's exciting to see how they look in their new spaces, when east meets its new home in the west." East Meets West Home is located at 88 Lakeshore Rd. W. in downtown Oakville. Call 905-3661860. Sunday, November 11, 2007 Otello's Banquet Hall 2273 Royal Windor Drive, Oakville, ON Preview: 12:00 NOON Auction: 1:00 PM new@Sears You know us for our selection of furniture, décor accessories, luxurious carpeting, hard-surface flooring and high-quality custom window treatments, blinds, shutters and shades. Now we are introducing custom designed walk-in and reach-in Closet Organizers and Interior Painting Services. INTERIOR PAINTING: As we all know a quality paint, which is professionally applied, enhances the beauty of any room. Let Sears save you the time and trouble of doing it yourself. CLOSET ORGANIZERS: Optimize your closet layout and create additional storage space with our new line of customized closet solutions. Call now for a free, in-home consultation. HOME THEATRE WE HAVE A HUGE SELECTION OF: · 3 Piece Sofa Sets and Sectionals in many designer colours, Italian Leathers to Designer Fabrics · Oak, Mahogany and Cherrywood 9 piece Dining Room Suites, some with matching Buffets and Hutches · 8 Piece Bedroom Suites, including European Designs · Hand Carved Fern Stands · Huge selection of Classical Style Hall Mirrors · Bathroom vanities with Sink · Quality Mattress and Box Springs Sets in double, queen or king, from the highest quality Memory Foam and Pillow Top to Economical Sets · Top quality 72 Pc. Flatware Sets · 10 pc. counter height dinette set (variety of finishes) · Bombay Chest · Wall Clocks · Curio Stands · Electronics · Lamps · Limited Edition Artworks including Bateman & The Group of Seven · Limoges · Figural Pieces · Grandfather Clocks · 4 Poster Bed Sets · Stainless Cookware Sets · Sports Memorabilia · Bronze new@Sears And Still Much More! Subject to additions and deletions. 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