Spring 2023 Shopping News: Home Decor, a Gilded Fragrance, and Handbags That Give Back
A bit of everything for you to snap up this season.
Select styles available through 1600 Spruce St. Home, Design & Gift, part of our roundup of spring 2023 Philly shopping news / Photograph courtesy of 1600 Spruce St. Home, Design & Gift
Prime Address
Rittenhouse shop 1600 Spruce St. Home, Design & Gift feels like a gateway to Narnia. Opened by interior design duo Richard and James Eib in January, the petite shop is stocked with a thoughtful collection of artisan goods. You might find candles from LGBTQ+-owned the Lion’s Den Candle Company, beach totes by Toss Designs, and sleek sideboards you can buy off the floor. Another 6,000 products are online.
As for the design services? In-store, there are 2,000 fabric and leather swatches and 100 rug samples, plus a library of thousands available through partner brands. Schedule a free consultation, or simply stop in to discover all of it. — Kristen Schott
Personal Space
If she had to distill Henck Design’s aesthetic into three words, owner Christina Henck says she’d pick “classic, modern and comfortable.” That’s evident at her new appointment-only, 3,200-square-foot space in Manayunk. It’s part office, part showroom, so prospective or current clients can chat with the team, then shop curated decor.
Fancy something vintage? Head to Scrappy Cat, which opened last year in Lansdowne with an eclectic mix of art, antiques, books and glassware. The collection changes frequently. One day, there’s a mirror from the late 1800s; the next, a suit of armor. — Shaunice Ajiwe
Weaving Yarns
Minimal Chaos / Photograph by Sarah Naji
Sarah Naji spent much of her childhood exploring souks with her father in their native Syria. So when she launched Minimal Chaos as a source for vintage handwoven rugs out of her South Philly rowhome in 2020, it was a lifelong dream come true — one that would soon outgrow her abode.
Naji moved Minimal Chaos in November 2021 to a showroom at the Bok Building. Additionally, she recently expanded her lineup of artisan-made handbags, shoes, pillows, dog mats — all crafted from salvaged kilims and hand-knotted rugs. It’s safe to say her space is once again bursting at the seams. — S.A.
Carry Forward
ShanPaulo’s St. Tropez clutch / Photograph by Casey Robinson / Styling by Kelsi Windmiller
ShanPaulo co-founder Shannon DeOliveira hopes you’ll be empowered when you don one of the Wyncote brand’s sustainable, travel-inspired handbags. “The point is to make women feel confident,” says DeOliveira, a domestic violence survivor who wants to spread happiness — starting with these creations, which are sold at ShanPaulo’s new King of Prussia shop.
She and husband Paulo came up with the idea in 2019 while visiting his family in Brazil, where they explored markets chock-full of goods handcrafted from natural materials. To make one-of-a-kind bags like the St. Tropez clutch shown here ($300), artisans carve reclaimed wood from pitiá trees into intricate shapes. The pieces are stained with plant-based oil and stitched together.
A portion of the revenue from the final products benefits One Tree Planted and Women Against Abuse. — K.S.
Guiding Scents
Creed’s gilded Spice and Wood fragrance / Photograph by Andre Rucker / Styling by Emilie Fosnocht
We all have our signature styles, so why not add a scent to yours? Enter Creed, which plans to open a boutique in June at King of Prussia.
The small but sleek space (it’s just 331 square feet!) is outfitted with porcelain-and-brass paneling, coffered ceilings, and Carrara marble floors. And it is filled with the fresh, hand-bottled creations for which the fragrance house has been known for 260-plus years. (It was founded by James Henry Creed, who started out as a tailor, then turned to perfumes after making a pair of scented gloves for King George III.)
“Fragrance is so deeply personal and all about expression,” says Erwin Creed, who works on the business side while his father, Olivier, serves as master perfumer. Consider the Spice and Wood ($610 for 75 milliliters). Its summery top notes of lemon and apple blend into pepper, clove and cedarwood for a layered fragrance that just might be suited to you. — S.A.
A version of this story was published as “Scout: Market Report” and “Scout: Obsessed” in the June 2023 and May 2023 issues of Philadelphia magazine.
