Adam Smith
Buying a new house? Don’t sign on the dotted line until you meet Adam Smith. His boutique service includes a one-on-one walk-through that covers everything from small idiosyncrasies to turn-and-run deal-breakers. Click here for some of his best tips for not ending up with a money pit.
adamsmithinspectsphilly.com.Porcos
When you’re in the middle of a deadly global pandemic, the ideal restaurant experience is one that involves the least amount of actual human contact. Which is why Porcos — a literal hole in a wall out of which come some of the city’s best porchetta sandwiches — is the perfect vision of our restaurant scene’s current moment. This takeaway window on Washington Avenue (which shares space and a menu with Small Oven Pastry Shop) was up and running before the virus hit, but present circumstances have made it invaluable. 2204 Washington Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19146, smallovenpastryshop.com.
KingsHaven
This delightfully colorful showroom boasts custom lighting and handcrafted furnishings, but it’s the smattering of home accessories, like shapely black-and-white baskets woven in Panama, textured throw pillows, and oils done by local artists, that will take you by surprise. 10 West Lancaster Avenue, Paoli, PA 19301, kingshaven.com.
Philadelphia Community Corps
Instead of filling a dumpster with all your demo refuse, hire this nonprofit org to help you “deconstruct.” They’ll identify any building materials that can be reused by others — and help you get a tax break while they’re at it. philadelphiacommunitycorps.org.
Lostine
Lostine takes mundane tools — brooms, dust pans — 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. lostine.com.
Felt + Fat
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.) Philadelphia, PA feltandfat.com.
Ever After Pets
Most funeral homes deal with, you know, humans. But Delco’s Lombardo Funeral Home will take good care of your furry loved one via its Ever After Pets subsidiary. It offers a convenient and highly respectful pickup service from your home or vet and will then return your pet’s ashes in a customizable urn a few days later, along with a plaster casting of its paw print. (Unlike most funeral homes, Lombardo’s boasts an on-site crematory.) Prices start at $275 for a private cremation in which only your pet will be present in the cremation chamber. 33 Baltimore Pike, Clifton Heights, PA 19018, lombardofuneralhomes.com.
Steph Trowbridge
First we loved the South Jersey ceramist and woodworker’s hand-shaped wine stoppers. Then it was her deviled-eggs platter. Now it’s her line of four ceramic vessels covered in alpaca fibers (those bowls!) sourced from the fleece of animals on local interior designer Barette Widell’s farm. Trowbridge has a way of adding whimsy to all the things we need at home — and those we don’t. stephtrowbridgeshop.com.
Lostine
Since 2011, East Falls-based Lostine has risen up the ranks thanks to pieces like their newly released Elsa lighting system, which lets you choose from metal frameworks (an organic cluster, or something linear?) and pendants (we’re drawn to the leather-wrapped ones) for a room-crowning configuration. lostine.com.
Kevin O'Brien Studio and Parisa Rugs & Decor
While Kevin O’Brien Studio and Parisa Rugs & Décor aren’t producing a shared collection just yet (fingers crossed), these interior-design powerhouses known for their luxurious handmade textiles are now sharing a 3,000-square-foot showroom. The street-level first floor is stocked with Parisa’s notable assortment of rugs and arguably the city’s best collection of quirky-chic objects. On the lower level, KOB has bedding, throws, and one-of-a-kind velvet kimonos. 33 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, kevinobrienstudio.com.
Family Piano
These graphic black-and-white blankets deserve a place on your sofa, hanging in your living room — wherever. They’re the brainchild of Merchantville artist, designer and musician Joe Kusy, who wanted to share his art in a functional way. “Everyone can use them,” he says. “There’s no sizing like with apparel.” Each 100 percent jacquard cotton woven piece is inspired by abstract natural landscapes and makes a statement, whether as your summer picnic blanket or a new foyer rug. Familypiano.myshopify.com.
Carmen Miskel
Some of us spent the pandemic honing our talents; others spent it learning the best times to access the state liquor-store website to place booze orders. (Hey, it’s a skill, too!) Miskel falls into the former category. After the New York Times announced an art contest — theme: “Coming of Age in 2021” — the teen from Bryn Mawr submitted a striking cartoon panel about loneliness during COVID that was one of just 25 winners selected from more than 4,000 submissions.
Jinxed in Port Richmond
Jinxed’s newest location is also its largest — a giant warehouse stuffed with piles of quirky bric-a-brac that will make those shelvies (selfies of your shelves, duh) worthy of sharing. Just clear your afternoon: It’s easy to spend hours here. 2858 Memphis Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134, jinxedphiladelphia.com.
Retrospect Vintage (@retrospectvintage)
Every day, more than 6,000 followers race to claim the vintage home goods this South Street vintage 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 508 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, retrospectvintage215.com.
RareCo Vintage
At first glance, this surprisingly palatial vintage shop appears to stock an anything-goes assortment, but look more closely: Nearly everything—velvet swivel seats, hexagonal end tables, the constellation of look-at-me chandeliers dangling from the ceiling—is a real treasure. 410 Fitzwater Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, rarecovintage.com.