The Best Shops for Furniture and Home Accessories
Worldly eclecticism reigns at Material Culture’s enormous store.
Our furniture and decor scene is as varied as the homes lining our streets. There’s a bit of mid-century modern, some industrial, lots of antiques, and enough retro/reclaimed/gilt/wood/you-name-it goods to fill tiny trinities and vast manses alike. Here, some of the best (and our favorite) haunts for home furnishings from this year’s Best of Philly list.
For Statement Pieces: Material Culture
We can’t adequately explain how glorious this vast (60,000 square feet!) showroom is, packed with antiques sourced from all over the world. But we can tell you to wear a watch when visiting, because once inside, you’ll lose all sense of time and place and stumble out six hours later with a reclaimed door, widemouthed copper floor vases and a hand-painted settee.
4700 Wissahickon Avenue, Suite 101, East Falls, 215-849-8030.
For Furniture: Cella Luxuria
As furniture shopping becomes increasingly big-box and catalog-focused, this growing local shop delivers exactly what we want: options. The Chestnut Street flagship has soft leather sofas and industrial-cool accent pieces; the next-door sister store is dedicated to mid-century modern, and the newest Queen Village annex has all the same great brands, plus more of those home-making accessories.
1214-1216 Chestnut Street, Midtown Village, 215-923-0784, and 331 South Street, Queen Village, 267-239-5335.
Reclaimed, midcentury modern, and industrial pieces live in chic harmony at Cella Luxuria’s trio of locations.
For Home Accessories, Splashy: The Blue Octagon
Step inside this tiny shop and be immersed in a whirl of color and shine, with heaps of Jonathan Adler whimsy, shiny gilt and lacquer, Deco lines and Palm Beach glamour. (Pucci caftan and martini not included.) 335 East King Street, Malvern, 610-640-2684.
A bit of Deco, a lot of lacquer, and plenty of colors and patterns hold center stage at Blue Octagon.
For Home Accessories, Subdued: UpHome
This breezy store feels like it could be in Provence: Pillows printed with the names of Shore towns are piled on weathered chairs the owner brings back from France; china plates are painted with watercolor crustaceans. It’s a happy mash-up, filled with enough reclaimed furniture, quirky wall hangings and cool accessories to make any home feel like a vacation retreat.
233 East King Street, suite 105, Malvern, 484-318-7109.
Beachy goods mix with French antiques at UpHome.
For Farmhouse Knickknacks: Isabella Sparrow
One glance at all the homespun textiles, ironstone pitchers, metal milk-bottle caddies, etc., and you’ll have a sudden desire to flee the city for greener pastures. Instead, you’ll just bring the greener pastures home with you.
8511 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, 717-327-7285.
Entering Isabella Sparrow’s weathered farmhouse aesthetic is sort of like walking into an Instagram post.
Find more Best of Philly winners here!
