Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » washington d.c design guide

when i was 13 i spent a summer in washington, d.c. as part of a fun (but dorky) program called national leadership council. being from the southern part of virginia, d.c. was like a wonderland of metropolitan coolness. i think it was that summer when i learned to fall in love with urban communities and city planning. i told myself that no matter what i would go to georgetown, become a journalist and live in a hip apartment in adams morgan. when that time finally came i ended up picking nyu instead but i still have a soft spot for d.c. in my heart. so i wanted to compile a guide to dc design on my own, to reflect my favorite spots in the area. for a fairly large city, it’s not exactly bursting with indie boutiques and the sort of stores you’d see in ny, san francisco or chicago, but it’s got its own scene and a great selection of antique stores. so i’ve included some of my favorite stores for home goods, artwork and clothing. i hope it’s helpful for anyone heading down to the nation’s capital this summer. just click “more” for the rest of the guide.

Adams Morgan

And Beige: this store carries a fantastic selection of new and antique furniture and accessories. it’s not exactly for the budget-conscious but it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for something unique.
Unsung Designers: this shop is my favorite clothing store in the city, hands down. i also can’t get enough of their website, i i love the design. every saturday (from 12-6), unsung opens its doors to showcase a fantastic selection clothing by up and coming and local designers.
Hoopla: i’m not a frequent Hoopla shopper but I do pop in when I’m looking for something earthy and handmade. they usually carry a nice selection of eco-friendly gifts, too.
Miss Pixies: vintage, vintage vintage. i love this shop for random odds and ends and reasonably priced used furniture.
The Brass Knob: architectural antiques- perfect if you own a house and are looking to add details with character and a sense of history.
DCAC: if i’m in adams morgan i always stop by to see what they have in the gallery here. they usually showcase some pretty spectactular local talent.
Meeps: vintage fashion and local designers- a little costumey sometimes but who doesn’t need a little bit of that now and then?
ALSO IN THE AREA: DWR

Capitol Hill

Maggie and Lola: this clothing store set up shop in a former B&B so everything has a very welcoming, homey vibe. be sure to check out the garden, too.
Homebody: a truly ecelectic mix of furnishings and accessories ranging from affordable to high-end.
Stitch DC: with several locations throughout the city, this is a great place to pick up yarn and thread if you’re craft-inclined.

Dupont Circle

Rooms with a View: home and personal accessories
Terra: a “lifestyle” boutique carrying jewelry, clothing and personal accessories. i love their dresses.
Tabletop: no dc list would be complete without a mention of tabletop, the mecca of all things tableware and home accessories in dc. they have a nice selection of jewelry as well.
AlSO IN THE AREA: DWR

Georgetown

Cady’s Alley: this area of georgetown’s design district houses dozens of design related boutiques and studios like Anne Sacks, M2L and Waterworks.
Artefacto: this home furnishings store is a local favorite, i feared i’d be burned at the stake for leaving this one out, but it skews a little high-end european for me.
Marston Luce: drool-worthy french antiques. crazy pricey but definitely worth window shopping. 1651 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-333-6800
Gore Dean: dc is known for its amazing antique stores and sadly most of them, while amazing, are pretty pricey. but i love browsing anyway and gore dean is a designer favorite. they have a fantastic collection of lighting.
Darrell Dean Antiques: i love this shop’s lighting collection- they carry some truly gorgeous, one-of-a-kind antique lamps. expensive? yes. fun to windowshop? definitely.
XY Decor: great selection of modern home furnishings and accessories. their textile collection is nice as well.
Jean Pierre Antiques: one of Oprah’s favorite shops. if i had her income i’d shop here a lot more, too. 2601 P St. NW, 202-337-1731
Linen Press: i inherited a love of antique european and american linens from my mother. i can’t afford larger pieces but i love this store for small splurges like cocktail napkins or vintage handkerchiefs. i heard they’re carrying john robshaw textiles now, too. 1671 Wisconsin Ave NW. 202-333-8575
American Studio Plus: modern home and office accessories- great for guy gifts. 2906 M Street NW. 202-965-3273
~~Hollis and Knight: beautiful antique and contemporary furniture. their mirror selection is top-notch.~~ [hollis and knight has unfortunately closed]
A Mano: this shop can skew a little fancy and upper east side for me, but i consistently hear that people go back again and again for their tableware and pillow collection. i’ve only been twice and each time i saw some things i’d bookmark for later, but nothing i had to buy right away. worth a visit if you’re in the area.
Random Harvest and RH Studio: this store, and its studio counterpart, are something of an institution in the dc area. carrying a well-edited selection of antiques and home accessories (ranging from traditional to modern), random harvest deserves the praise it’s received.
Space: lovely collection of antiques and mid-century modern accessories. 1625 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-333-0140
Paper Source: we all known paper source but it’s always a great place to stop in for stationery and gift wrap for craft projects.
Sixteenfiftynine: mid-century modern antiques, swoon.
ALSO IN THE AREA: Anthropologie

Alexandria and Old Town Alexandria

An American in Paris: great selection of european clothing labels, chosen by the shop’s fabulously french owner. 1225 King Street, Alexandria, 703-519-8234
Daniel Donnelly: one of my ALL-TIME favorites for mid century modern antiques and reproductions.
Ispirato: this shop is a must-visit if you’re in the area. their collection of ceramics and textiles is fantastic.
Hysteria: i love their dresses. reminds me a little bit of scoop in nyc.
Bowhe & Pear: for me this shop can be a little hit or miss but i’ve seen some fantastic tables and chairs in here. 106 N. St. Asaph Street, Alexandria. 703-518-9900

Penn Quarter

Apartment Zero: this seems to be everyone’s favorite dc store. i prefer something a little smaller, but apartment zero does carry a fantastic selection of modern lighting and tabletop accessories. they have nice porcelain pieces as well.

U Street

Muleh: amazing furniture and lighting with a south east asian feel.
Millenium Decorative Arts: one word: YUM. mid century modern furniture and accessories. they have some fantastic vintage artwork as well.
Pink November: fun clothing and accessories.
Rckndy: home and personal accessories.
Ruff and Ready Furnishings: one part antique store, one part thrift shop. a little crowded (but aren’t most thrift stores?) but definitely worth checking out. i’ve found some great chandeliers here that just needed a coat of colorful paint. 1908 14th St NW. 202-667-7833
Good Wood: an eclectix mix of furniture and accessories.

Extras + Other Neighborhoods

Eastern Market: after the fire this april Eastern Market is operating out of a space across the street called East Hall. I haven’t been since the fire but it used to house a great collection of gifts and odds and ends.
Cantilever Modern: Ok, anytime someone’s hours are by appt my internal warning flags go up. But if you’re looking for high-quality mid-century modern furniture, this place is worth the appt.
Just Paper and Tea: the name says it all. great stationery and decorative papers- and a tea shop. they carry soolip, which is nice.
Good Eye: Incredible, incredible selection of 20th century design. Oh if I had the money to buy half of the the things in here…
Home Rule: This shop is a well-known favorite. They carry all sorts of colorful home accessories and decor. I like their office accessories the most.
Vastu: modern home furnishings and accessories
Cowgirl Creamery: two words: delicious cheese!
Go Mama Go: their website is seriously in need of an update, but they often have whacky tableware and accessories that are perfect for parties.
Tone on Tone: This may be in Bethesda but if you’re driving past it’s worth the stop for amazing (high-end) antiques.
Bookstores: Politics & Prose and Kramerbooks are my favs
The Blue House: a fun bethesda shop with great gifts and accessories
Ella Scott: if only for the John Robshaw textiles. It’s a little rich for my taste in here.
Eco-Green Living: all things earth-friendly and sustainable for the home.
Hunted House: new and vintage furniture, with an emphasis on mid-century modern. thanks, adrienne!

Great compilation of stores here, but don’t forget Reincarnations and Hunted House, both on 14th in Dupont! Love them too!

Also in Old Town there’s an Asian furnishings boom with Qi, Abaca Imports, and Kosmos Design.

Ps. At Abaca, they always offer you tea to sip while you browse!

Hi Grace, Thanks so much for this list. I’m going to make it a point to visit all these shops and fall in love all over again with this city. You’ve listed some of my favorites shops in our charming Georgetown neighborhood. Thanks again!

adrienne

thanks for the suggestions. i’m actually not a huge fan of reincarnations- the last few times i’ve been i’ve left sort of dissapointed in their selection. but i’ll be sure to check out the rest!

grace

[…] Javed wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt… become a journalist and live in a hip apartment in adams morgan. when that time finally came i ended up picking nyu instead but i still have a soft spot for dc in my heart. so i wanted to compile a guide to dc design on my own, … […]

thanks so much for this guide! i’m undergoing the exciting and nervewracking process of decorating our new 2-bedroom apartment, and while you’ve named many of my favorite shops, there are several on here that are new to me and i can’t wait to check them out.

Yeah, with Reincarnations, Miss Pixies, Good Wood, and Hunted House, it can be hit or miss. You just have to check in regularly to see what’s new.

Hunted House is definitely geared towards mid-cent mod tastes, while–as a friend of mine said– Reincarnations gets you in touch with your inner Liberace. They lean towards bold colors and patterns and unique accessories to add a splash or conversation piece to a room.

Most recently, I snagged a nice leather tray there. I was looking for something with red/yellow accents to bring just a touch of the colors from the main living area into the silvery blue and chocolate bedroom. I figured it would be impossible to find something that could tie these colors together and still look good. This was the perfect piece.

Don’t rule ‘em out just yet. :)

I was hoping you would do a d.c. list soon! Great picks! I am crazy for Random Harvest, Tabletop, Cowgirl Creamery and Good Wood. Another great one for eclectic, Asian antiques is Dragonfly on Church, right next to Eco-Green Living. Gorgeous, gorgeous pieces. Nana on U also has really cute clothes, and I hear Junction is great, but I haven’t made it in yet. And Annie Creamcheese for vintage in Georgetown!!

Can’t wait to try out your picks I haven’t been to yet.

Oh, and just a tip: Maggie and Lola just closed last week. Sad but true.

[…] EDA Geek News Staff wrote an interesting post today!.Here’s a quick excerpt… become a journalist and live in a hip apartment in adams morgan. when that time finally came i ended up picking nyu instead but i still have a soft spot for dc in my heart. so i wanted to compile a guide to dc design on my own, … […]

Oh, what timing! I’ve spent recent days scanning for DC-based design blogs so I could earmark places to explore on an upcoming trip to DC. This is absolutely perfect - many thanks, Grace!

The comments so far have given me some leads on bloggers - if you or anyone else has favorite blogs in the DC area, I’d love to hear about them!

Just a couple of things to note:
Cady’s Alley is in Georgetown, as is Artefacto ( I used to work there it is an amazing store). Also, sadly Hollis and Knight is no longer in existence….
Great post though, I used to live in DC ( worked at the the above showrooms) and think you put together a really nice list.

I went to Georgetown and then lived in Adams Morgan before I packed it in and returned to the mother country. Rough and Ready is a treasure trove- I particularly love the basement where everything is on sale- and the thrift shopping on the outskirts of DC is something truly special.

On the upper Northwest reaches of the city is Politics & Prose (I was once their sidelines buyer) an amazing bookstore with a crazy selection of design/art books in their remainder section.

So wishing D*S would make a visit to DC for a Biz Ladies Meet Up! Anytime soon?

Great list. Must not forget about these other treasures on 14th St:

Pop
Pulp
GoMamaGo
Home Rule

Great clothes, jewelry, cards & housewares

This list is great- thanks! I believe XY Decor in G’town closed.

Another local bookstore on 14th St i s Candida’s World of Books. This is typical internationally minded DC at its best. The bookstore is travel focused (though they can special order on request), and, the owner, Candida has been just about everywhere.
http://www.candidasworldofbooks.com/

A big thaks for mentioning us on your list! DC has really become quite a mecca for hip living and chic interiors. We invite everyone to join us throughout the year to take part in one of our museum and embassy collaborations.

A great little design store in Old Town Alexandria is Chinoiserie, it’s owned by an architect and each piece in the store be it a little
box or large vase is thoughtfully selected and displayed. Simple elegance.

You might want to change your U St. category to U St/14th St and move Home Rule (one of my faves for well-selected versions of all the day to day things you need to run your home: http://www.homerule.com) to that category. In fact, you could move a number of things from your “extras and other neighborhoods” section into USt/14th St. Another add is Timothy Paul carpets (timothypaulcarpets.com) –gorgeous stuff (nothing I can afford anytime soon!) and many if not all may also have the Rugmark label. Also, I think Rough and Ready is gone and greatly missed. On U St, take a break at Love Cafe for cupcakes, cakes, coffee, and nonsweet things too.

For Penn Quarter, you’ll need to add the new West Elm. And you can move Cowgirl Creamery (a fave of mine for their olive oil; they also have sandwiches) to that category too!

Hunted Home doesn’t sound at all familiar to me and is in my neighborhood, so must see!

For Adams Morgan, please add Skynear and Co and a shop that I can’t remember the name of for accessories and furniture (I think) from South America(?) on the W. side of 18th St. I’ll try to remember to report back on the name of that. Miss Pixie’s on 18th is my all time fave in DC.

There’s also a flea market and crafts market at Eastern Market on Capitol Hill every Sat/Sun. I’m not really familiar with the following, but I believe there’s still a Georgetown flea market on weekends, but I think it moved to Roslyn, if I’m not mistaken.

Grace, I totally agree with you on Reincarnations. Every time I’ve been in there, I’m hugely underwhelmed, so I just don’t go anymore. Whoever said “Liberace” above is right on - but less fabulous than that, IMHO.

I could go on and on adding more! Thanks for this list–I’m going to check out some of the new-to-me shops.

ruff and ready closed? really? that would be sad! i swear it was open just a few weeks ago…although i think the building next to it which is in godawful shape is finally being taken care of.

i do have to throw in my vote for reincarnations, though. the store is over the top, but you can find some good things there (when used in moderation!). i got an awesome chaise lounge there a few years ago that is the envy of all my friends.

a very comprehensive list! i like it!

Someone said Rough and Ready (awesome Antique/thrift shop on the 1900 Blk of 14th street is gone? No way, I saw them with their stuff out on the sidewalk last weekend. If you’ve never gone, you owe it to yourself. There is junk, but some real treasure in there if you poke around. The staff are super nice and we furnished our whole house with R&R stuff (mainly oak & Mohagany furniture from the 1890’s - 1920’s). But runor has it that a fancy restaruant (”Policy”) is going in right next door in the new construction.

This is a great list! I too mourn Unsung Designers closing - but they are still open online! Unfortunately, Maggie and Lola isn’t - Katharine (the owner) is a doll, so I will miss the store. Also, I LOVE Millennium - I am always stopping by there to check out their new additions (things don’t stay there very long). I recently included them in my Green Gift Guide for DC on my blog. Because vintage is the greenest green of all! www.righteousrestyle.com

Pricey but nice: Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams on 14th St.

Clothing: Circle on 14th. Caramel on U St. Remix, a vintage clothing store, on Capitol Hill.

Shoes: ShoeFly in VA; Carbon in Woodley Park; WIld Women Wear Red on U St.

A few things missing from the 14th Street neighborhood…

Redeem-1734 14th St NW (www.redeemus.com)
An amazing clothing shop for guys and girls with fashion forward pieces but an awesome antique design sensibility.

ACKC -1529 14th St NW (www.thecocoagallery.com)
A delicious new chocolate shop and hot cocoa bar with almost a dozen flavor options.

Cork-1720 14th St NW (corkdc.com)
A newly opened winebar in the old Sparky’s Coffee space. Relaxed and not the slightest bit stuffy, and with tapas to munch on.

Great List. Your Extras and Other Neighborhoods should include The Great British Pine Mine (www.pinemine.com) located in Kensington, MD. Selection is incredible- amazing antiques and accessories and staff very helpful and friendly.

What a great site and blog. I really enjoyed reading through the blog…but too many stores have closed…we need all the talent we can keep here in DC. Just to let you know..we have openned another GoreDean in Baltimore! So come visit when you can. Thanks for pulling this great list together…it reminded me to visit some old friends again !!!!

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