Favorite Home Furnishing Stores
With so many home furnishing stores to choose from, it can almost feel like a never ending rabbit hole to find the right piece. Lucky for me, I have amazing trade partners that each have something special to bring to the table (no pun intended!).
You are probably familiar with most of these retailers, as they have a wide range of goods, solid customer service, and really great products. Today I'm going to tell you what I like about each of them and share a favorite piece from each one.
Now, in no particular order, I give you......
1. Restoration Hardware
Restoration Hardware has really upped their game these past few years. The RH brick and mortar stores are stunning and their website is just as beautiful. Their catalogs are a joy to look at, and I save them all. Everything about RH is straight class. There is a real feeling that you are viewing art. Everything they do is intentional and well thought out. RH has exclusive collections from designers like Ben Soleimani, Kerry Joyce, and Ann Marie Vering, which make their pieces extra special. Everything at RH pushes the design envelope and the result is noticeable.
This is their Porthole Bar, and it caught my attention right away. Just like the name suggests, it was inspired by a ship's porthole. This bar features metal rivets, a mirrored back, and glass doors.
With its pipework base and contrasting metal frame, this bar is very dramatic. Like it or hate it, this Porthole Bar is definitely an interesting piece.
2. Crate & Barrel
My first memories of Crate & Barrel are from trips to Chicago in the 1990's (when I was much, much younger). The Michigan Avenue flagship store had 4 floors and was such fun to explore. Their downtown store was open for 27 years and closed its doors for good in 2018. Though, I believe the closing was less about them, and more a reflection of the changing shopping culture. While it was fun to go downtown Chicago, it is much more convenient to have Crate & Barrel at my fingertips!
Crate & Barrel's Maxwell Waterfall table is just beautiful.
This table manages to be modern and classic at the same time. I love the choice of solid elm wood and brass inlay details. Also, this table is constructed without screws or nails!
3. Joybird
If you've never heard of Joybird, you are missing out. Joybird was founded to change the way you buy furniture online. They are dedicated to high quality custom-made and curated furniture. Their style is inspired by the Mid-Century movement and designers from that era like Frank Lloyd Wright, Cara Greenburg, and Eero Saarinen. Joybird's furniture is well designed and mixes nicely with other pieces. Also, they have an incredible variety of sofas to choose from. Most of these come in over 60 different fabrics and colors for a custom look.
One of my favorite pieces at Joybird is their Fenton Bed.
I love the simplicity of this bed. The brass accents on the head and footboard remind me of campaign furniture and the legs are brass too. I think my favorite part is the smooth walnut veneer (no, veneers aren't bad, more on this later). The walnut wood grain is on full display and really beautiful.
5. CB2
CB2 is a sister brand of Crate & Barrel, so it should be no surprise that it makes my list. CB2 is a little edgier and the cooler sibling. Furnishings at CB2 are designed with city living in mind and offer smaller scale and multifunctional furniture. CB2 is also priced to appeal to a more budget conscious buyer.
The Atlas chair at CB2 is a great example of what I mean by "edgier and cooler."
Designed by Jannis Ellenberger, this chair was inspired by campaign chairs from the 70's. Featuring a mix of acrylic, Dakota leather, and dark bronze iron rod details, it is a very striking chair. And way cooler than I can ever hope to be.
5. Serena & Lily
Serena & Lily is a lovely store with a lovely name full of lovely things. Their furnishings have a lighter and more "joyful" vibe (if that is even a thing). It is a great place to go for boho or coastal furnishings. Their furniture has classic lines and traditional styling, but somehow manages to stay modern and not stuffy. Serena & Lily's look is casual and breezy, yet refined.
Here is Serena & Lily's Balboa Dining table. It features hand wrapped strips of thin rattan and brass capped legs. The glass top protects the rattan and allows you to see the pattern underneath. I like the boho trend, though it is really not my style. This table is a great compromise of what I would traditionally choose married with the bohemian look.
6. World Market
Last but not least, we have World Market. Almost every item in my home that I get compliments on is from this store. They have such a wide range of home goods and furnishings that are priced to fly out the door. I don't know how they do it. They are my go to for that special piece or two that has some character to take your room to the next level. It's a great place to find fun trendy pieces that seem to stay in style longer than similar items at other stores.
World Market's Sloan sideboard is a great example.
This sideboard has live edge wood doors that fade at the top. The metal base is an antique gold finish, and there is a gold finish on the strip between the cabinet top and the door tops. I really love this piece. They have carried it for a while now and it still looks so good. If I had somewhere to put this, I would have bought it a long time ago!
They have carried this sideboard for a while now and it still looks so good. If I had somewhere to put this, I would have bought it a long time ago!
Well, there you have it. Some of my favorite pieces from my favorite partners. What do you think of these pieces? What stores are your favorite?
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