U Street

Good Wood, American Furniture & Decorative Arts is located at 1428 U Street and without a doubt is the bomb as the kids like to say. The store has been around for 15 years was purchased by its current owners, Daniel and Anna Kahoe, five years ago. I had the opportunity to chat with Anna. It was very interesting to hear Anna explain the difference between the patrons of today versus the patrons of 15 years ago. Anna explained that 15 years ago folks were buying houses and completely renovating them so they were looking for mantles and period pieces to restore their homes. Today folks are looking for decorative things for their homes and they tend to have much more eclectic tastes. Anna points out that this is not a vintage store rather it focuses on 19th century American furniture. I was surprised to learn that the store is dog friendly so they also have that going for them. The store has pieces for folks just starting out as well as pieces for those with a bit more discretionary income. Anna told me that they are able to keep their prices reasonable because they often buy entire estates and are able to get a deal on the bulk purchase. Prices vary widely from a $28 footstool to a $300-$900 chest of drawers. What this simple observer can say is that the store is exquisite. It has a bit of everything. From dressers, to bookshelves, to stained glass, to desks, to a bust of Beethoven. So if you like furniture and decorative arts of the old school variety you are going to love this store. The store is open Wed. 11-7pm, Thurs. 5-9pm, Fri/Sat 11-7pm and Sun. 11-5pm. Also on the third Thursday of every month they have wine and cheese. Dog friendly and wine and cheese, yeah. Check out lots of photos after the jump. (more…)

Located at 1807 14th Street just north of T Street, Home Rule has been open since 1999. If you’re looking for home goods and don’t feel like going to the mall you’ll find lots of great options here. They’ve got tons of stuff for the kitchen and bathroom. They claim to have best collection of shower curtains in town. The shop is small but they use the space efficiently and the staff are extremely helpful. Prices range from a dollar to $250 with the average sales price being $32. Any fans of Home Rule out there? Check out some pictures of the interior after the jump. (more…)

When I wrote about Dekka’s grand opening a few weeks ago it was too crowded to check out the store but I promised to return. And this past Saturday, I was able to check out all the goods and speak with two members of the designer’s collective. The idea behind Dekka, located at 1338 U Street, is very cool. It features a collective of designers who pay a “small reasonable fee” to display their goods. I spoke with two of the members, Marilani Huling (pictured above) and Sheri Green. Green and Huling explained to me that the store has 15 designers. The 15 designers include 2 handbag designers, 2 Jewelry designers (of which Huling is one), 7 clothing designers, 1 cosmetics (Green) and 3 artists. And the coolest part is that all the designers are local. So those who are interested in supporting local designers, check ’em out! More photos after the jump. (more…)