He’s keeping his beard, but Garrit De Boer, owner of North York’s Idomo Furniture, is closing his store after 40 years.
The 64-year-old is renowned for his Sheppard Avenue showroom, his eclectic commercials, which he has shot all over the world, and his iconic, flowing beard.
De Boer first set up shop in 1971 on Supertest Road at a time when Toronto was crazy for teak stores. In 1992, he upgraded to the current North York location on the corner of Sheppard Avenue and W. R. Allen Road.
De Boer has criss-crossed the globe, both to meet with his 35 international dealers and to shoot his furniture commercials.
“I’ve stood in snake-infested waters in Indonesia and ridden elephants in Thailand,” he says.
He also has posed in Bangkok with a 10-foot python around his neck. But the work — including travelling — is hard on the body, he said, and after four decades, he is ready to take it easy.
But De Boer isn’t ready to relax completely.
In his spare time he plans to work on antique clocks, his greenhouse and build a pipe organ.
“It’s hard for me to slow down,” he said. “My strength is that I’m multi-dimensional, and my weakness is that I’m multi-dimensional.”
Local councillor Anthony Perruzza, said De Boer’s retirement is bittersweet news.
“In a way, I’m saddened that the Idomo Furniture symbol will cease to exist,” he said.
“He’s been a mainstay of the community for years and years and years.”
Once De Boer clears out, the showroom will be converted into office space, and he hopes to help install a green roof. The building also has a geothermal system for heating and cooling, which De Boer installed years ago.
In the meantime, he is busy in the showroom, clearing out remaining stock. He says loyal customers have been flooding in to say their goodbyes, culminating in a two-hour lineup to process orders on the first day of his clearance sale.
“I stood up on a box and apologized to everyone for the wait and everyone applauded,” he said.
