If you’re planning a trip to New York this summer, an attractive enclave near downtown is an extremely pleasant—and aesthetically enthralling—place to visit. Boerum Hill in Brooklyn is home to a surprising number of design and fashion shops where you can find tableware, small furniture, lighting, and more—most of it concentrated in a two-block area on Atlantic Avenue.
The area is named for a farm owned in colonial times by the Boerum Family. Today, much of the area consists of tree-lined, landmarked blocks, home to rows of brownstones. Zoning prevents tall buildings, especially in the blocks directly below Atlantic Avenue, the area’s main drag.
Boerum Hill is a short taxi/Uber/Lift ride from lower Manhattan; it can also be reached by nearly every subway, including the A, F, 2, 3, 4, 5, N, R, and Q lines.
Housewares and Design Stores in Boerum Hill
Mud
402 Atlantic Avenue
The brainchild of potter Shelly Simpson, this Sydney-based business features unique and colorful porcelain tableware, lighting, and more. The large and light-filled corner shop is definitely eye candy—but you’ll also want to take everything home.
Michele Varian
400 Atlantic Avenue
Relocated to Boerum Hill a couple of years ago from Soho, this light-filled emporium features textiles, pillows, wallpaper, lighting, and furniture by Varian herself, as well as product by more than 100 other designers—and dozens of local jewelry designers to boot.
Assembly Line
373 Atlantic Avenue
From architecture and design studio General Assembly comes a highly elevated general store is a one-stop shop for everything interior design: furniture, lighting, cabinet hardware—even a line of limewash in collaboration with Ressource, a French wallpaper and paint company.
The Primary Essentials
372 Atlantic
A wonderful collection of homeware and gifts, much of which is on a long, low table that stretches the length of the front of the shop. You’ll find handmade ceramics by local potters, candles, personal care items, textiles, and a lot more.
Porta
360 Atlantic Avenue
The tag line “beautiful things for beautiful homes” only tells part of the story. PORTA works with designers and artisans from many countries in Europe to assemble a collection of distinctive items that straddle the traditional and the contemporary.
Fashion Shops in Boerum Hill
Layla
352 Atlantic Avenue
Alayne Patrick’s treasure chest of a store is a mix of bedding, jewelry, clothing and housewares, most of which is created by the owner with craftspersons in India. She also carries vintage rugs, contemporary and antique works on paper, and paintings by Aleishall Girard Maxon.
M. Patmos
358 Atlantic Avenue
Named after its owner, the shop features “modern wardrobe staples and sophisticated, textural knitwear meant to be passed down to future generations.” The focus is on low environmental impact and working with small, family-owned factories and workshops.
Clare V.
57 Bergen Street
Founded in 2008, Clare V. is a hybrid of California cool and European chic, offering handbags, small leather goods, clothing, jewelry, and more. The brand has ongoing relationships with charitable causes, including Every Mother Counts founded by Christy Turlington Burns.
Story by Stephen Treffinger
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