New York’s Go-To Boutique for Vintage French Furnishings

Owner Lorraine Wohl Photo: Genevieve Garruppo

After 30 years on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Elle W, the beloved vintage furnishings-and-jewelry emporium, has moved to a stylish new space in the Design Center at 200 Lexington Avenue. “Here, I’m surrounded by everything I love,” remarks owner Lorraine Wohl, who has made Elle W a go-to for rare and unique finds. “I’m happier here than I am at my own home.”

Wohl’s passion is Gallic design from the 1930s and ’40s, her eye favoring the era’s softer and more sensual forms to the hard edges that came to define the midcentury period. Among her smartly curated offerings are creations by the likes of Jacques Adnet, Jules Leleu, and Baguès. Standout pieces might include, say, a Jansen lacquered table with Klimt-like black-and-gold accents or an extraordinary Gaetano Sciolari mirror with twisted glass icicles. Elle W is also a treasure trove of estate and retro jewelry as well as incredible bar carts and cocktail accessories. And in this welcoming space, few pieces are sealed in display cases.

The stylish new space in the New York Design Center in Midtown Manhattan. Photo: Genevieve Garruppo

“I wanted to create an atmosphere,” Wohl explains, “where people can wander and truly discover things.” A rare find indeed. ellew.com