If you are looking for unique items for your interior design in Washington DC, you probably fall into one of two categories: house proud and choosy or entirely at sea.
Either way, you’ll need a great selection of stores when you’re decorating your home. After all, if you have very definite ideas about your aesthetic, you can’t make do with just any old thing on the shelf of a big box store. And if your design sense ends with the Ikea catalog, you probably need some help stepping up your game.
Either way, we’re here to help. We have scoured the area and sought out the best, freshest, hippest, cutest, chicest places to shop so you can be sure that (A) your home won’t look like everybody else’s and (B) you’ll find things you love to live with for years to come.
Eat Drink and Be Merry: Tabletop DC (website)
With locations in Dupont Circle and Takoma Park, Tabletop is the ideal place for gorgeous linens, dishes, serve ware, and hostess gifts. The aesthetic here is elegant with a touch of whimsy, so you will fall right in that sweet spot of effortlessly chic when you host or attend your next dinner party.
Live Like a Mad Man (or Woman): Modern Mobler (website)
If you are obsessed with mid-century modern design or if you just want one or two chic pieces to class up the joint, you must go to Modern Mobler.
With locations on Georgia Avenue and in Kensington MD, this is the real deal for the very best in vintage furnishings and lighting from the 50s through the 70s. Also, they have gallery-quality artwork if you are interested in starting a collection or just having a couple of really great works to show off your taste. If you want to have your space look like grown-ups live there, this is it.
Every Nook and Cranny: The Brass Knob Architectural Antiques (website)
If you think “Builder Grade” is profanity and generic is your kryptonite, you will adore this store. Whether you’re looking for knobs and drawer pulls for the kitchen, andirons for the fireplace, or luxe bath fixtures to make you feel like a pasha, you can’t go wrong with the selection at this 18th Street Store.
And the best part? They have so much more than they can even show, and they ship nationwide, so if you, or someone you know, is looking for something unique, let them help you and then send it right to the door.
Shop Good, Do Good: Christ Child Society’s Opportunity Shop (website)
This is not just your run-of-the-mill thrift shop that donates to charity. Georgetown’s Opportunity Shop is a high-end consignment dealer specializing in a variety of antiques, including fine jewelry, sterling silver, crystal, and collectibles.
Starting in DC in 1886, Christ Child Society was founded to help DC-area children and is now a national organization. The shop itself was started more than 60 years ago and accepts donations as well as items for consignment.
Check out their website for more information, then get shopping and do some good for DC’s kids.
Designer Chic: Victoria at Home (website)
Whether your style runs to tasteful monochromatic spaces or vivid mix-and-match layering, you are sure to find something you love at Victoria at Home, located on King Street in Alexandria.
Designer Victoria Sanchez curates an array of gorgeous looks at her shop, where you can also set up a design consultation if you need some help finding the vision for your space. And with her 2-hour consultation and Room In a Day options, you don’t have to make a big-time commitment to make a significant impact on your home decor.
Bold and Brash: Stylish Patina (website)
With locations in Falls Church, Virginia, and in the Mosaic District, this eclectic store has the right amount of quirky and the right amount of elegance to ensure your look is always uniquely your own.
Need design services? They’ve got ‘em. Have an old piece you want to restore? Monthly classes will help you create a whole new look. Can’t make it to the store in person? There’s an Etsy version. Now you have no excuse not to have the coolest home in the neighborhood.
DC has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to great designers and great retailers to ensure your home is as cool as you are—looking for a great home to hold all of that gorgeous furniture? Sign in at our website and let our Eng Garcia team get started with a custom search that will have you living your best life in no time.