Best of Philly: 7 Shops to Help You Create the Home of Your Dreams
Photo by Courtney Apple for Philadelphia Magazine.
Best of Philly 2016 is now online as well as at newsstands. Check out the best in Philadelphia-based home decor shops, as well as the rest of the best in food, drink, shopping, beauty, health, fitness, fun and games.
Curating a home that feels entirely you is one of the more fun challenges that come with adulthood, but is still a challenge in and of itself. Luckily, we’ve rounded up the crème de la crème of all home decor shops in Philadelphia to help you outfit the pad of your dreams. From top-secret Instagram steals on home furniture to boozy barn sales, here are the Best of Philly winners for all things home decor, from fancy to refurbished:
BARN SALE
Imagine if Terrain and Restoration Hardware had a European baby, and you’ve got Life’s Patina (pictured above), a 19th-century barn that’s packed with a jaw-dropping spread of salvaged and restored furniture and home goods. While the barn is open by appointment year-round, the seasonal sales are what you really should go for, with ticketed, catered preview parties the night before so you can get first dibs. (Psst: There’s one next month!)
FANCY FURNITURE: Studio 882
Bigger doesn’t always mean better, but in the case of this Delco design store—which in June upgraded from a 3,000-square-foot showroom to a cavernous, gallery-like 12,600-square-foot space—bigger actually means best, if only because there’s extra room for more than 75 lines of high-end furniture and home decor, artfully arranged in vignettes so lovely, you’ll want to move right in.
MODERN FURNITURE: Millésimé
How to turn your home into a place that looks like it’s been plucked from the pages of a modern-design magazine: Let owner Jinous Kazemi walk you through her collection of Ligne Roset couches; customizable wall hutches by USM Modular Furniture,; and decadent leather armchairs, side tables and headboards by Poltrona Frau—and then buy it all.
SHOP FOR COFFEE-TABLE BOOKS: Brickbat Books
Patrick Richardson Graham stocks an eclectic collection of rare and unusual art books at his Fabric Row brick-and-mortar. Recent finds include a hardcover of Annie Leibovitz at Work signed by the famed photographer herself as well as a crop of first editions—all of which deserve valuable coffee-table real estate.
INSTAGRAM FOR VINTAGE FURNITURE: @retrospectvintage
Every day, more than 6,000 followers race to claim the vintage home goods this South Street shop posts on its Instagram feed. The items range from antique treasures to kitschy curiosities (rattan peacock chairs, velvet paintings and Victorian settees have all cropped up), and all are priced to sell, well, instantly.
KITCHEN GOODS
Lostine takes mundane tools—brooms, dustpans—and makes them deserving of prominent display. But it’s the East Falls company’s kitchen accessories that are the most eye-catching: sleek wood rolling pins, pepper mills, cutting boards, leather-handled trays and marble prep tables. (Psst: To see more Philly-made goods, click here.)
DISHWARE
Port Richmond’s Felt + Fat is turning out ceramic plates, bowls, trays, cups and mugs that are pretty enough to be art, fancy enough to earn nods from Vogue, and cool enough to catch the eye of top chefs who use them at their restaurants; see them at Fork, Laurel, and High Street on Market. (Psst: To see more Philly-made goods, click here.)
Published as “Best of Philly 2016” in the August issue of Philadelphia Magazine.
Join us in the heart of the city on August 4th for an evening of award-winning food, summer cocktails and dancing under the stars in celebration of the winners at the Best of Philly Soirée. Get details and ticket information here.
