Today was one of those quietly amazing days. I was supposed to meet a client at 2:30 at her office downtown to look at some wallpaper she was interested in. After finishing an earlier appointment at 1, my hand was on my phone, ready to call her and ask if it might be possible to push our meeting ahead when I thought, What, are you crazy? You have one and a half hours of free time at your disposal. Don’t blow it! So I parked the car and hit the 2nd Street District. Here are a few reasons why you should too:
1. Langford Market | 249 West 2nd Street
Langford Market was the first thing on my agenda, since I’ve never been in and was intrigued by the mix of vintage and new stuff visible in the windows. Walking through the front door, I spied SUCH a cute chair. Considering the high rent of retail space in this hot neighborhood and the brand-new upholstery on the chair, I reached for the price tag with trepidation. But y’all? That sucker was clutch-your-pearls CHEAP. Someone with a pretty good eye is curating the vintage furniture and rehabbing it for a song. Check it out:
Multi Print Chair, $290.
Brown Mid-Century Chair, $195 each (pair available).
Handsome Plaid Club Chair, $390.
Suzani Chair, $385.
Mid-Century Chair, $385.
2. Mercury | 209 West 2nd Street
Mercury’s a must-see when you’re in the District. It’s one of those stores that can’t be defined, carrying everything from beautiful books and vintage art to taxidermy to fab furnishings to unique jewelry pieces. It’s not a mish-mash either–everything in the store feels like it belongs. Chances are good you’ll want a lot of it to belong to you.
3. Finch | 417 West 2nd Street
Where Mercury expresses its many personalities, all of them yelling stylishly at the top of their lungs, Finch is a sharply focused animal. I want to walk through the store with a glass of wine in my hand and time to daydream. The displays are the thing. If you told me that tiny little theatrical productions occur in each softly glowing box every night after the shop closes Night-at-the-Museum-style, I would believe you.
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4. Wee | 417 1/2 West 2nd Street
Wee is…well, wee. It’s a small little store for the stylish shorties in your life. Stocked with big-name brands like Oeuf and Dwell and by far the coolest glider/rockers and bassinets you’ll ever care to own, it’s a great resource for the mod parent.
Before you go, check out the City of Austin’s website for the lowdown on free parking at City Hall.
Wow…you had some great shopping, the kind that feeds your imagination on the back burner. I’ve been wanting to check out Langford, so now I’ll have to make it a priority!
hmmm you missed DWR, BoConcept and the 2020 glass shop.
Those stores have some great design pieces.
So not interested in DWR or Bo Concept…was itching for more distinctive stuff!