Eclectic chic...
As far as home decor stores go, this one hits all the right marks. Cute home furnishings, unique selection, good customer service and so on. I'd say if you're in the mood to spruce up your home, but don't want cookie cutter style and price is no object, then this place is probably up your alley.
One thing is for certain- the selection of home decor and furniture is unique, stylish and high quality. It's where functional design meets fun and glam with a twist. For me, I rather liked the nice array of lighting fixtures and decorative accents (throw pillows, wine racks, candle holders, bookends, vases, candles) for the home. If I didn't care about busting my budget, I could easily drop a lot of money here. Trust me, it's not hard. There's so much to see and buy if you like intelligent, fun design with an edge. I could have spent all day in here, it's that interesting.
As a home decorating/DIY enthusiast, I loved the mix of rehabbed/distressed furnishings interspersed with newer pieces. I believe this store is considered an official Flexsteel retailer judging by what I saw, but I'm not sure. The mix of new and vintage pieces was a nice fusion of "old meets new." I like new stuff, but I love pieces with a history, too.
Personally, I love what they had in stock, but I just wish their prices were a little more in tune with what they're selling. Perhaps the pricing is in line with the local market, but I found that a little hard to believe, even though Milford is a fairly affluent town. The prices were definitely "upmarket."
While the gallery sells new and custom upholstered furnishings, much of the stock appears to be fixed up vintage pieces (old desks, chairs, dressers, etc) from flea markets, estate sales and the like that the staff has rescued and lovingly restored. I respect that they do that and have done that myself numerous time. Heck, I come from a family of DIY types and "shabby chic" treasure hunters, so I can appreciate the amount of work it took to find and restore such pieces, I really can.
For rehabbed pieces, quality aside, the prices were a bit on the higher end, but everything was so cute and unique, so if rehabbed "shabby chic" is your forte (it's mine), then the cost shouldn't be considered all that prohibitive. It difficult to not appreciate the thought and attention that went into choosing the merchandise and staging the store in such an adorable way.
The customer service is excellent, with a sales staff that's both knowledgeable and friendly, plus there's plenty to see (and buy) and the staging is great (I came away with a few decorating ideas for my own house). read more