Louie Dapergolas has a knack for home improvement and he’s opened a furniture store on Danforth Ave. to prove it.


The former wholesale furniture salesman is hoping his new showroom shows off more than just furniture.

Dapergolas opened Tora Home Design between Main St. and Dawes Rd. in December, but not before spending five months working on a complete makeover of the 2,200 square foot space with his own two hands.

The idea behind the large undertaking was Dapergolas’s goal to display not only affordable and stylish furniture, but also his talents.

“This place for me might be a conduit to go into other things as well — contracting or building houses or even designing — so it was an opportunity for me to create a nice space.”

Although Dapergolas’s family owns the building, the previous tenant was an electronics store that did not keep the space well maintained, said Dapergolas.

He decided to renovate the space and turn it into a furniture store after the tenant moved out.

Dapergolas is hoping to capitalize on what may be a revitalization of the area. His store is located within the newly established Danforth Village Business Improvement Area, of which he is a board member.

“I have high hopes for this area because I see all of the development just south of us,” he said. “There is a lot of good people that live around here but don’t think to shop in this area because they’re not used to seeing anything down here except for salons and dollar stores.”

Tora caters to condominium and smaller space living with smaller multi-function pieces. The name of the store, which is Greek for “now”, is a bit of a giveaway that his store carries more contemporary pieces.

Dapergolas said everything in the store is in keeping with his own personal taste. Much of his Asian- and African-style furniture features dark colours with clean lines.

He carries multi-function pieces, like coffee tables, end tables and folding tables. Also in the inventory is a standing mirror that contains storage space.

Tora Home Design also has a reduced price section, with limited quantity pieces and floor models that Dapergalos tracks down from suppliers he met while working in wholesale furniture.

Tora also carries paintings, prints and dried flowers. Lighting fixtures are soon to come, he said.

Dapergolas said he arranged the showroom to give people ideas on how to furnish and decorate their own space. For now, he’s sticking with limited quantities of items that suit his taste and hopes others will like it too. Tora may carry more variety in the future, but Dapergolas doesn’t want the space to lose consistency or become too busy.

As for his future in home improvement, Dapergolas has a lot of experience to draw upon. He and his family spent the better part of 20 years building and renovating the Scarborough home that Dapergolas still lives in.

“We went a little over our heads,” said Dapergolas, adding the project is how he learned the ins and outs of design.

“I love seeing … a rundown place and fixing it,” he said. “I love creating something from nothing.”