Outfitting your home or apartment with the furniture, artwork, and knickknacks from the same big box stores that everyone else shops at is a recipe for a clone of a home. Your pad will look just like countless other pads. Your couch will be the same as a friend’s; your coffee table will be the same one your coworker, sister, and cousin considered; and your little accents will seem all too familiar to your guests. It’s boring. A better idea would be to shop these stores. Best of all, you can shop each of them right from your computer.
Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co.
For lighting, you won’t find a shop with a more tremendous and interesting selection. Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co. crafts pendants, table lamps, and other pieces that bring brightness into your home. And while the lamps and lights are the highlights, they also stock solid furniture and other pieces. Link
A&G Merch
From rustic coffee tables to lime green sofas, A&G Merch has you covered for attention-grabbing pieces. Since they opened in 2006, the Brooklyn-based company has tried to provide pieces that won’t be met with “did you get that at…?” Think urban pieces with character. Link
Kaufmann Mercantile
Before there was Kaufmann Mercantile the store, there was Kaufman Mercantile the blog. It was site with a laser-like focus on products that were just made better than your average items. That passion carried over into an online shop stocked with goods that follow the same ideology. While you won’t find many big items like coffee tables and sofas, you will find plenty of home staples that will last a lifetime. Link
Muji
For minimal and affordable, no one compares to Muji. The Japanese company doesn’t slap their pieces with branding or elaborate patterns; everything is sleek and clean. They focus on selecting materials, simplifying packaging, and delivering an affordable piece to you when all is said and done. Link
Brookfarm General Store
Driven by passion and a specific aesthetic, the team behind Brookfarm General Store opened their doors in 2009. Having since moved out of that first Brooklyn storefront, the couple behind the shop continues to craft and carry household supplies with a certain heritage feel. Wood, ceramic, and cloth weave through many of the fine pieces they offer. Link
Dwell Store
Dwell is one of our favorite home design magazines, so it makes sense that their offshoot shop would be right up our alley. Filled with clean Scandinavian design, modern accessories, and items we covet, it’s like bringing the looks featured in the magazine into your own home. Link
A+R
A+R sources products from all over the world, and nothing gets offered before they test it themselves. They put new and exciting at the forefront of everything they choose to carry. Whether you’re looking for a modern toothbrush holder, bright shelving, or a funky chair, A+R is where it’s at. Link
Old Faithful Shop
With a name that evokes timeless quality, Old Faithful Shop sells household items designed for simple, everyday living. Their heirloom wares include sturdy kitchen essentials, light fixtures that look ripped from Ben Franklin’s desk, and more. Link
MoMA Store
We probably don’t have to tell you about the Museum of Modern Art store that’s taken on a life of its own. Despite its popularity, you’ll still find fun and funky pieces that shouldn’t be in everyone’s home. From iconic Herman Miller chairs to bright, bold, and modern accessories, MoMA Store is the spot. Link
Modern Anthology
Everything about Modern Anthology feels masculine, whether it’s a couch in rich brown leather or a desk lamp made from old industrial brass pipe fittings. Everything they sell has a timeless quality that will stand up to trends and fads as the years go by. Link
Museum of Useful Things
“Useful” is the key term in this store’s name. Every item they carry was designed with a specific purpose and a clear function. All the goods are economical in price and the way they are used, with no unnecessary elements. Sometimes simple is better. Link
Canvas Home
Canvas Home feels like shopping through a Kinfolk magazine. Their homeware blends clean design with a slight country vibe. The store stocks rustic sofas that are made in the USA, handmade stoneware bowls, and many other pieces for your underground supper club. Link
TRNK
When a mid-century inspired, handcrafted bar cart pops up when we click on your site, we know we’re in the right place. TRNK is all about home goods that have a manly feel to them. Lots of cold steel colors snake through the products they offer, and the indigo quilts are total standouts. Link
Matter
If money is no object, you can find some incredible pieces at Matter. While most items exist in the $1,000+ arena, those items are really, really unique. All the contemporary items can become statement pieces in your home—the lamp, chair, or table everyone notices when they walk in. Link
Anaesthetic
You may know Anaesthetic from their Jack Concrete Speaker. While that’s just a prototype, many of their unique pieces are perfectly purchasable. The company creates interesting lights and chandeliers, and they use concrete to craft many small items to dot your pad with. Link
The Future Perfect
The Future Perfect doesn’t sell furniture as much as it does pieces of art. The shop works with both established and up-and-coming designers who push boundaries. Some of our favorite pieces include a chair made from pipes from one specific building, a scrapwood coffee table, and a solid brass watering can that actually looks good on display. Their wares don’t come cheap, but they are awesome. Link
Huset
It’s Scandanavian design, but it’s not that shop. Huset, which means “the house” in Swedish, offers household goods that are clean, clever, and contemporary. The team behind the store makes constant returns to Sweden to update the shop and match current trends. If you’re a fan of sleek, minimal style, but don’t want to go IKEA from wall-to-wall, Huset is a great option. Link
