Six New Design-Forward Shopping Destinations to Visit in New York City Now
A shoppable apartment by Kelly Behun, a summery Louis Vuitton pop-up, and a flower-filled jewelry boutique are ideal for some retail therapy
With so much shopping being done online over the past year, many people are excited to get back into boutiques to feel the new fabrics, see the array of color options, or inhale the aroma of seasonal fragrances. All across New York, a number of new retail destinations have opened their doors to visitors, offering exciting experiential environments from which to purchase fabulous new furniture, unique decorative lighting, brightly colored designer fashions, and a garden’s worth of indoor and outdoor plants. Below, Galerie has rounded up six of the most stylish options.
1. Kelly Behun’s Living Gallery
On the fourth floor of the new Robert A.M. Stern–designed residences at 1228 Madison, designer Kelly Behun has conceived a remarkable model apartment that also serves as a shoppable presentation of high-end furniture and gallery art from both blue-chip and emerging talents. “I have such a reverence for what Robert Stern has done and the imprint he’s had on the city, and I’m particularly fond of this neighborhood,” Behun tells Galerie. “There was something very human about the scale of the space, and so everything I did was with an eye towards how classical and timeless the architecture is, as well as doing things that sometimes had a bit of a contemporary twist—but never going too far.”
Included in the curated collection is Dashiell Manley’s The Dance (2018) from Marianne Boesky Gallery, a poured mirrored-glass installation by Rob Wynne, and a Kristina Riska vase from Hostler Burrows. The three bedrooms, eat-in kitchen, foyer, and living room are also set with pieces from Behun’s designs for The Rug Company and Hudson Valley Lighting plus her upcoming array with L’Objet. “The pieces were all designed separately, so it’s fun to see how they live together,” she says. Also featured are remarkable works, like a Giacometti-inspired group of dining chairs from De La Vega Designs, double-lens cocktail table by Gaspare Asaro, and vibrant pillows by Gucci Décor.
1228 Madison Avenue, Upper East Side
2. Louis Vuitton
To get shoppers in the summer spirit, Louis Vuitton artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière has created the pop-up shop “By the Pool.” Located on Soho’s Greene Street and open through May, the refreshing space presents the atelier’s Summer ready-to-wear collection alongside a curated mix of accessories and leather goods. Crafted with curving blue-tile walls and rippled light that creates the effect of a pool-side setting, the shop offers a spirited selection of sherbet-color beachwear and towels, sarongs, and sandals as well as seasonally chic Capucines and NeoNoe bags.
122 Greene Street, Soho
3. Zoffany at Saks Fifth Avenue
Window shopping just got a bit more artful as the textile and wallpaper atelier Zoffany has installed a number of their fashion-worthy patterns in the front displays of Saks Fifth Avenue’s Manhattan flagship. Originally designed in the 1950s and 60s, the Palladio collection was installed in public areas around Great Britain to bring art to the community following World War II. Now uplifting the city of New York, prints like architectural Medallions, graphic stripe Impact, and cityscape Royal Exchange are paired with designer dresses from Erdem, Gucci, and Libertine, creating an eye-catching moment of color and pattern. “As a New Yorker myself, I know how resilient this community is,” Beth Holman, President of Zoffany, says in a statement. “We feel privileged to provide the same artistic beauty to this city that the original patterns brought to England 70 years ago. And to do it with Saks, a destination that is synonymous with New York, is an honor.”
611 Fifth Avenue, Midtown
4. Muse
For those missing the glamour of a party atmosphere, Muse’s West Village pop-up offers a convivial ambience brimming with brightly colored jewelry, playful home accents, and more. Plus, every Friday in April, New York City Ballet principal dancer turned boo•kay flower purveyor Robbie Fairchild will be filling the space with a bright assortment of blooms from noon until 6 p.m. If you’re lucky, there might even be live music, like when Broadway performer John Riddle stopped by and turned the space into a sidewalk celebration. Stock up on twisty enamel rings by Bea Bongiasca, statement-making earrings from Silvia Furmanovich, and stunning bijoux from Nikos Koulis—not to mention the Have a Heart and Be a Star charms that help raise funds for a number of philanthropies, selected by their panel of tastemaker ambassadors, including Lizzie Tisch and Lingua Franca’s Rachel Hruska MacPherson.
605 Hudson Street, West Village
5. Radnor
Design purveyor Radnor has crafted a new residential-style showroom in collaboration with Elizabeth Roberts Architects. Within the full-floor, 4,000-square foot apartment at 180 East 88th Street, Radnor’s Susan Clark has curated a mix of artisan furniture and lighting, including Karl Zahn’s debut furniture collection for Radnor Made, plush seating from Bunn Studio, textural ceramics from Object & Totem founder Julianne Ahn, and Loïc Bard’s largest creation to date—a Bone credenza crafted using the Japanese shou sugi ban technique. Additional furnishings designed by Clark and Roberts fill the space which is enhanced by a thoughtful selection of artwork from David Zwirner, among them pieces by Richard Serra and Ruth Asawa.
180 East 88th Street, Upper East Side
6. PlantShed
A longstanding botanical destination for New Yorkers with a green thumb, this plant purveyor has opened a new Upper West Side location on Amsterdam Avenue. Located just steps from the company’s original 10,000-square-foot flagship, PlantShed now has four “floral cafés” in the city, offering a selection of houseplants and flower gifts as well as coffee, tea, and matcha drinks from the site’s matching emerald-green espresso center. Browse from a wide array of bouquet arrangements, succulents, orchids, foliage, blooming plants, and more plus planters and other garden tools sure to help elevate any terrace garden into a lush plot of Bunny Mellon proportions.
723 Amsterdam Avenue, Upper West Side