Lostine
From left: Lamp from Worms Emporium, pendant lights from Lostine, lamp from Retrodelphia, Halo wall sconce from Wren + Cooper / Photograph by Casey Robinson Since 2011, East Falls-based Lostine has risen up the ranks thanks to pieces like their newly released Elsa lighting system, which lets you choose from metal frameworks (an organic cluster, or something linear?) and pendants (we’re drawn to the leather-wrapped ones) for a room-crowning configuration. lostine.com.
Ever After Pets
Most funeral homes deal with, you know, humans. But Delco’s Lombardo Funeral Home will take good care of your furry loved one via its Ever After Pets subsidiary. It offers a convenient and highly respectful pickup service from your home or vet and will then return your pet’s ashes in a customizable urn a few days later, along with a plaster casting of its paw print. (Unlike most funeral homes, Lombardo’s boasts an on-site crematory.) Prices start at $275 for a private cremation in which only your pet will be present in the cremation chamber. 33 Baltimore Pike, Clifton Heights, PA 19018, lombardofuneralhomes.com.
Adam Smith
Buying a new house? Don’t sign on the dotted line until you meet Adam Smith. His boutique service includes a one-on-one walk-through that covers everything from small idiosyncrasies to turn-and-run deal-breakers. Click here for some of his best tips for not ending up with a money pit.
adamsmithinspectsphilly.com.Quail Store
This upscale boutique, showcasing a highly curated selection of pieces that inspire reflection and calm by both local artists and global makers, promises pretty things only. We’re particularly awestruck by the Louis XV pitcher by Carron, a gleaming white vessel with a dramatic handle and bow detail, handmade in the south of France with black terracotta clay. 1218 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, shopquailstore.com.
Knobs 'N Knockers
Look past the hilariously X-rated-sounding name, and you’ll find a treasure trove of high-end hardware for interior and exterior doors, cabinets, drawers, and, well, anything else that you might need to open in your house. You can also find gorgeous mailboxes, along with house address plaques, pretty switch plates, and all the other little details that’ll make your house feel way more luxe. Shop 22, Peddler’s Village, Lahaska, PA 18931, knobsnknockers.com.
Harth Builders
Want to grow old in the house you’re already in? Or would you prefer to have a new one built for you, no matter how old you are? Lower Gwynedd’s Harth Builders can make your existing home work better for you as you age, or custom-build a home that can grow with you. (They also do repairs.) 812 North Bethlehem Pike, Lower Gwynedd, PA 19002, harthbuilders.com.
Bodie
Photograph by Nell Hoving Dixon If your space bends more toward the colorful and kitschy, this modern general store has what you need, from candles shaped like pretzels and tinned fish to stunning Parisian flatware in pastel shades to branded tote bags to take it all home in. But don’t leave without a produce pillow. Who’s to say the pièce de résistance of your living room can’t be a giant fleece strawberry? Locations in Queen Village and Fairmount, Philadelphia, PA shoppebodie.com.
Preservation Fine Goods
We’ll admit: Not everything in this sparsely furnished shop is the most practical. (Really, who needs an artisanal dinner bell?) But its tabletop goods are so refined, so unassumingly cool, we can’t leave without an heirloom-quality cheeseboard or a gilded candlestick. 9 Church Street, Lambertville, NJ 08530, preservationfinegoods.com.
KingsHaven
This delightfully colorful showroom boasts custom lighting and handcrafted furnishings, but it’s the smattering of home accessories, like shapely black-and-white baskets woven in Panama, textured throw pillows, and oils done by local artists, that will take you by surprise. 10 West Lancaster Avenue, Paoli, PA 19301, kingshaven.com.
O’Neill Masonry
Specialist Jimmy O’Neill knows that masonry is both an art and a science. He’ll cure what ails your crumbling mortar and can handle brick, stucco and concrete, too. Services Philadelphia and its Pennsylvania suburbs. oneillmasons.com.
The Closet Works Inc.
Lazy Susans, corner pie shelves, slide-out linen drawers … the pros at this Montgomeryville outfit use every trick in the book to get you the most space for your sundries, and they’ll top ’em off with whimsical door and drawer hardware. Services Greater Philadelphia. Closetworksinc.com/pantry-design.
Philadelphia Design Collective
Emily Reddington, Kristen McFeely, and Deirdre Affel of Philadelphia Design Collective. Photograph by Linette and Kyle Kielinski. Soul (and, okay, sometimes great natural light) is the secret to moving a property from just-listed to off-the-market. This staging team blends warm colors, mid-century and vintage furniture from their private warehouse, and a robust knowledge of the local real estate scene to make potential buyers feel at home in every room. Phillydesigncollective.com.
The Organizing Professionals
Janet Bernstein. Photograph by Jeff Fusco Janet Bernstein and her team will remove the clutter from your closets and cupboards—and let you fool the world into thinking you are, in fact, a Type A person. Keep reading here. theorganizingprofessionals.com.
Janet Bernstein at The Organizing Professionals
It takes a cultured Brit to whip us lazy Americans into order -- and that's what makes expat Janet Bernstein so good at her job. The Penn grad credits a decade of worldwide travel for honing her methods of helping you pare down, clean up and let go. There's a free one-hour consultation if you live within 25 miles of Wayne. theorganizingprofessionals.com.
Dream Garage Remodeling
With Superman-like clairvoyance, owner Lenny Kelman will survey your mounds of clutter and instantly know where everything should go. Then he’ll cleverly install just the right racks, hooks, bins and shelves in just the right places, and you’ll never be embarrassed to open your garage door again. Services Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery counties. garagesolutionsphiladelphia.com.