About Us

It started with Works of Art Furniture, located at 1118 Broad which opened in 1984 and became well-known for their manufacture of quality solid-wood living and dining room furniture. The company manufactured literally thousands of oak dining room tables many of which are still in use today.  In 1994, partners Brian Manz and Terry Simpson decided to change direction and move towards more contemporary accents and furniture.  That’s when Urbane came into existence - a contemporary gift, decor and furniture store. Urbane was Regina’s first “cool store”.  The lines that they popularized in the local marketplace including Canadian suppliers Amisco and Umbra are still available in the store today. In fact, in 2000 Urbane was awarded Umbra's national "Retail Partner" of the year. This award was based on sales volume of Umbra products made by independent retailers across the country. 

For a few years Urbane and Works of Art Furniture operated from 2 separate buildings. Urbane was located at 1118 Broad and Works of Art was at 1170 Broad. In 2001 the EQ3line was added. Urbane was the first store, outside of EQ3’s home base of Winnipeg, to display and sell the EQ3 product line.

In 2004 the decision was made to scale back to one operating building, the original location of 1118 Broad St. However, EQ3 was proving to be a very popular line and voila, Urban 1 was born. Urban 1, co-owned by Todd Fry and his uncle Brian Manz, became Regina's EQ3 store and opened in December 2004 at 1325 Broad St.  EQ3 is Canada’s premiere modern home furnishing manufacturer specializing in modern design for everyday life with simple, clean, and functional design.

From 2004 until 2011, Urbane and Urban 1 operated as separate stores. Urban 1 focused more on furniture and Urbane more on gift and decor items. In 2011, mainly because Brian was so darn old, Urbane permanently closed the location at 1118 Broad. The lines that Urbane had were added to the EQ3 collection at 1325 Broad. The operating name was changed to Urbane EQ3  "the best of both stores under one roof"

The People

At the helm of the new Urbane EQ3 is Todd Fry. Before opening Urban1, Todd spent many years in the building industry as a flooring contractor. He has a thorough knowledge of construction and is very skilled at CAD design. This proves invaluable in assisting clients with their furniture requirements. They are able to visualize on screen, any piece of furniture in their own room prior to making a purchase.  Todd, through Urban 1, has established EQ3 as a prominent furniture brand in the Regina marketplace.  In fact, based on sales volumes, Urbane EQ3 is now the largest independently owned EQ3 dealer in their system. 

Allison Graham worked for several years at the original Urbane location. She has a comprehensive understanding of all the lines, especially Umbra and Amisco. She is largely responsible for the ongoing stocking and display maintenance of the accessory and decor area which is now integrated into the new store.

Sarah Nesbitt has literally grown up in this business.  She is Terry Simpson’s daughter, one of the original partners in the old Works of Art Furniture. Sarah returned to Regina last July with a BFA in Design Arts from Concordia in Montreal.

Todd, Allison and Sarah all bring different talents and skills to the interior design process and each of them are available for in-house or in-store design consultations.  Whether your project is large or small, the staff at Urbane EQ3 can help you make informed decisions.

David Hartingdon is a big strong Aussie/Canadian who delivers most of the furniture. The delivery policy at Urbane EQ3 is quite simple. There is no charge for in-town deliveries and all deliveries include assembly in your home.  Getting the furniture into the client’s home is a critical part of the process and David does a great job.

Although he is usually working behind the scenes, if you are looking for the old guy, Brian Manzcan be found working in the store every Saturday.  He very much enjoys the new structure of the business and looks forward to meeting new clients or seeing the many familiar faces of those who have supported the business for decades.  And for that ongoing support they are all very grateful!