As you might expect, Williamsburg has its share of stores specializing in modern, minimalistic home decor. Along with sleek and streamlined furniture, however, you will also find plenty of the artisanal and the whimsical. Within a matter of blocks you can pick up a van der Rohe-inspired chaise, a Moroccan rug to set beneath it, and a hand-loomed cotton-and-alpaca blanket to throw over it.
111 North Sixth Street (between Berry Street and Wythe Avenue)
A&G Merch’s aesthetic might be described as “contemporary classic,” or perhaps “classic contemporary”: clean-lined, curvaceous chairs à la Danish Modern style; spare, low-slung credenzas; round wood tabletops resting on triangular metal legs. But there are plenty of unexpected items too, such as one-of-a-kind raw-edge acacia bowls, mirrors framed with acrylic tubing and brass, lamps with shades made of fluffy feathers. Whether you are looking for a minimalist sectional sofa or a ceramic deer head with golden ears, A&G is worth a visit.
240 Kent Avenue #18 (at North First Street)
Beam shares A&G Merch’s modern-leaning sensibilities but with an extra dollop of sass (a kokeshi-style doll painted to resemble “Vogue” editor Anna Wintour, anyone?). And thanks to its walls of windows, you can get a good look at its cornucopia of furnishings before you enter. A table lamp one could easily mistake for a banana might rest atop a Bauhaus-inspired steel bar cart; handcrafted quilts with graphic geometric motifs might be stacked alongside candles that were turned on a lathe.
676 Driggs Avenue (at North First Street)
Brooklyn Reclamation is more than a vintage-furniture store, though it does sell an ever-changing assortment of vintage Mid-Century Modern, industrial, and primitive-style furnishings. What really sets this family business apart is the furniture that it handcrafts from such reclaimed materials as wood from a 1960s bowling alley and steel from a 19th-century factory in West Virginia. You can choose from the bar carts, benches, bookcases, tables, and islands on display in the shop or have its artisans make you a piece to your specifications.
226 Grand Street
A one-stop shop for furniture, bedding, rugs, tableware, accents, and even design services, Chango & Co. favors rich textures, quiet colors, and timeless styles. A bench handcrafted of reclaimed wood might stand upon a block-printed runner or a hand-embroidered Moroccan rug; teak plates might sit beside copper-plated flatware. These are furnishings that are equally appropriate for a Sag Harbor cottage and an urban loft.
99 Grand Street (between Berry Street and Wythe Avenue)
You will not find tables, bookcases, or furniture in general at Leif but rather the tableware, figurines, pillows, and other accessories to place upon them. The emphasis is on artisanal, top-quality goods: blankets by Mount Brahms woven on antique looms; mugs and pitchers handmade in Portland, OR, by ceramicist Katie Mudd; cotton-and-leather floor mats; a delightful array of tea towels almost too lovely to use. The store includes an eclectic mix of jewelry, scarves, stationery, and bath and body goods as well, so you can buy a bar of French-milled soap to go with your new ceramic soap dish.
224 Wythe Avenue (at North Fourth Street)
Ceramics by Workaday Handmade are among the offerings at Mociun Home. Image: Craft Scotland/Flickr
Caitlin Mociun founded her original store, called simply Mociun, to showcase her fine-jewelry line, all of which is designed in Williamsburg and handmade in New York. She then branched out with a small range of hand-thrown porcelain tableware and a second shop, dedicated to artisanal ceramics and textiles. Items at Mociun Home range from whimsical (Eleanor Boström’s dachshund-shape matchstick and chopstick holders) to earthy (Janet Williams’s stoneware bowls and mugs, with their brown and turquoise glazes) to urbane (Dana Bechert’s sgraffito porcelain vases).
203 North 11th Street (between Bedford and Berry Streets)
Organic Modernism. Image: designmilk/Flickr
The Mid-Century Modern aesthetic reigns at this store, with seating, tables, and case goods inspired by the likes of Milo Baughman, T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Finn Juhl, and other masters but more affordably priced. In addition to furniture and lighting, Organic Modernism sells intriguing tabletop sculptures, oil paintings by Chinese artist Hidir Jiang Tapanoglu, crewelwork pillows, African baskets, and other accents to complement the pared-down, sculptural furniture.
199 North Eight Street (between Roebling Street and Driggs Avenue)
Ireland-based, family-owned Orior has been designing and handcrafting furniture for restaurants, hotels, and other commercial buildings as well as for residences since 1979. Not until 2016 did it cross the pond, choosing Williamsburg as the site of its U.S. design studio and shop. Its New York capsule collection, like most of the company’s other furnishings, embraces contemporary minimalism; channel quilting and tufting providing virtually the only ornamentation. Open by appointment only, Orior will also work with you to create bespoke furnishings.
111 Grand Street (between Berry Street and Wythe Avenue)
Sharktooth’s vintage and antique textiles tend to be anything but minimalist. The continually changing inventory encompasses Shirvan prayer rugs and Mexican wedding blankets, patchwork quilts and grain-sack pouches. All items have been sourced from auctions, markets, and estate sales, except for a smattering of proprietary products, including hand-stitched quilts made from pieces of vintage Hudson Bay Trading blankets.
59 Grand Street (between Wythe and Kent Avenues)
44 Grand Street (between Wythe and Kent Avenues)
Sprout Home began in Chicago in 2003 selling plants, flowers, and terrariums for urbanites. Four years later it opened a second garden store in Williamsburg. The company then expanded its merchandise line to include housewares, decor, and pantry items, opening dedicated Sprout Home Kitchen & Table shops across the street from the original garden stores in both Chicago and Williamsburg. In addition to selling floral arrangements, potted plants, and wreaths, Sprout Home will custom-design everything from wedding flowers to backyards. It also offers classes on creating terrariums, mounting staghorn ferns, and other topics for those who want their thumbs to turn a bit greener.