Design Guide NYC 2012: Soho

In Soho, landmarked cast-iron buildings speak to the area’s industrial past, though the interiors hold cutting-edge showrooms, galleries, and shops. Soho is bustling during the day, quiet in the evenings, and always a great spot to stroll or people-watch. Here, we’ve listed the area’s best showrooms, shops, restaurants, museums, institutions, and galleries. Check out the […]

In Soho, landmarked cast-iron buildings speak to the area’s industrial past, though the interiors hold cutting-edge showrooms, galleries, and shops. Soho is bustling during the day, quiet in the evenings, and always a great spot to stroll or people-watch. Here, we’ve listed the area’s best showrooms, shops, restaurants, museums, institutions, and galleries.

Check out the Metropolis Design Guide for Design Week events and highlights from New York’s most design-forward neighborhoods. And look for the printed version of the Metropolis Design Guide around the city, especially in Chelsea at WantedDesign, in Midtown at the Architects & Designers Building and the Decoration & Design Building, in Flatiron at the New York Design Center, and at the newsstand at ICFF at the Javits Center.

Keep an eye out for what we “like” during NY Design Week. Around the city, you’ll see our lovely signs, produced by 3M Architectural Markets using 3M™ Crystal Glass Finishes, at all of our editors’ favorite, must-see spots. Throughout our neighborhood listings, you’ll also see a next to our favorites.

soh_maplike

METROPOLIS LIKES FAB X FLOR
A pop-up shop at Flor features a Fab-curated assortment of brightly colored objects, including a red chalkboard piggy bank by Ladies & Gentlemen as well as the launch of Quinze & Milan’s Pilot collection, with an installation by the duo. For more information, see the Flor listing below (image credit: Ladies & Gentlemen).

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SHOWROOMS

APAVISA
472 Broome St.
btw. Greene and Wooster Sts.
(212) 966-0850
apavisa.com
Opened last year, a showroom for high-tech, high-end porcelain tiles.

ARTEK
199 Lafayette St., Ste. 5D
btw. Broome and Kenmare Sts.

(212) 219-0589, www.artekfurniture.us
The first local furniture showroom for the Finnish company founded in 1935 by Alvar Aalto and partners.

ARTEMIDE
46 Greene St.
btw. Grand and Broome Sts.
(212)  925-1588
artemide.net
Italian contemporary-lighting company with high-end and innovative designs by Richard Sapper, Carlotta de Bevilacqua, and others.

B&B ITALIA
138 Greene St.
btw. Prince and W. Houston Sts.
(212) 966-3514, bebitalia.it
Italian furniture, including work by Antonio Citterio, Jeffrey Bernett, and Patricia Urquiola.

BDDW 5 Crosby St.
btw. Howard and Grand Sts.
(212)  625-1230
bddw.com
Handmade American furniture with a modern sensibility.

BISAZZA
43 Greene St.
btw. Grand and Broome Sts.
(212) 334-7130
bisazza.com
Flagship for interior and exterior glass-mosaic tiles.

BLU DOT
140 Wooster St.
btw. Prince and W. Houston Sts.
(212) 780-9058,
bludot.com
Elegant, useful, and affordable furniture.

BOBBY BERK HOME
59 Crosby St.
btw. Broome and Spring Sts.
(212) 925-3635
bobbyberkhome.com
Offers the hottest selection of quality modern and midcentury-modern furniture and accessories at affordable prices.

BOFFI USA
31 ½ Greene St.
btw. Canal and Grand Sts.
(212) 431-8282
boffi-soho.com
Italian kitchen and bathroom designs displayed in a 10,000-square-foot showroom created by Piero Lissoni.

BULTHAUP
158 Wooster St.
at W. Houston St.
(212) 966-7183
newyork.bulthaup.com
Custom architectural kitchen systems.

BY NEW YORK
142 Greene St.
btw. Prince and W. Houston Sts.
(212) 431-4424
bynewyork.com
Piero Lissoni’s interactive loft for Boffi, Living Divani, and Porro.

CASSINA USA
151 Wooster St.
btw. Prince and W. Houston Sts.
(212) 228-8186
cassinausa.com
Modern classics and contemporary furnishings.

DAVIS & WARSHOW
96 Spring St., 3rd fl.
btw. Broadway and Mercer St.
(212) 680-9000
dwny.com
New York City’s oldest kitchen and bath distributor, established in 1925. Stocks more than 150 lines, as well as custom items like copper Japanese soaking tubs.

DE LA ESPADA
154 Grand St.
btw. Centre and Lafayette Sts.
(212) 625-1039
delaespada.com
Modernism meets traditional warmth in expertly crafted solid-wood furnishings; by appointment only.

DESIGN WITHIN REACH
110 Greene St.
btw. Spring and Prince Sts.
(212) 475-0001
dwr.com
Flagship location for classic modern furniture and lighting.

DESIRON
151 Wooster St.
btw. Prince and W. Houston Sts.
(212) 353-2600
desiron.com
Celebrated contemporary home furnishings company.

DOM NY
66 Crosby St.
btw. Broome and Spring Sts.
(212) 253-5969
domshowrooms.com
High-end Italian kitchen components and European furnishings from Valcucine and many others.

DUCDUC
524 Broadway, Ste. 206
at Spring St.
(212) 226-1868
ducducnyc.com
Top-quality, environmentally friendly furniture for healthy, happy children.

DUNE
156 Wooster St.
btw. Prince and W. Houston Sts.
(212) 925-6171
dune-ny.com
Rare contemporary furniture from an international roster of designers and architects.

ENVIRONMENTAL FURNITURE
352 Bowery
btw. E. 3rd and E. 4th Sts.
(212) 780-0051
environmentfurniture.com
Stylish pieces made with sustainable materials and methods.

FLOR 142 Wooster St.
btw. Prince and W. Houston Sts.
(212) 253-2164, flor.com
Innovative, modular carpet square systems that allow for flexibility.

FLOS
152 Greene St.
at Houston St.
(212) 941-4760, flosusa.com
Just opened showroom designed by Fabio Calvi, with lighting from Marcel Wanders, Antonio Citterio, and others.

FLOU USA
42 Greene St.
btw. Grand and Broome Sts.
(212) 941-9101
flou.it
Everything for the bedroom, including beds, mattresses, pillows, and duvet covers.

FONTANA ARTE
45 Greene St.
btw. Grand and Broome Sts.
(212) 334-3295
fontanaartecorp.com
Designed by Piero Russi, with lighting and furniture by the likes of Gio Ponti and Renzo Piano.

FRITZ HANSEN
22 Wooster St.
btw. Canal and Grand Sts.
(212) 219-3226
fritzhansen.com
Manufacturer of iconic Danish furnishings since 1872.

GRANDE CENTRAL
19 Bond St.
btw. Bowery and Lafayette St.
(212) 777-7984
centralplumbingspec.com
Two-story showroom for plumbing and heating supplies, fixtures, and hardware.

INGO MAURER 89 Grand St. at Greene St.
(212) 965-8817
ingo-maurer.com
Showroom of the preeminent German lighting designer.

JOHN HOUSHMAND
31 Howard St., 2nd fl.
btw. Crosby St. and Broadway
(212) 965-1238
johnhoushmand.com
Edgy, organic sculptural furniture.

KARTELL
39 Greene St.
btw. Grand and Broome Sts.
(212) 966-6665, kartell.it
Designs from Philippe Starck, Piero Lissoni, Patrick Jouin, and Patricia Urquiola.

LEFROY BROOKS
16 Crosby St.
btw. Howard and Grand Sts.
(212) 226-2242
lefroybrooks.com
Collections of bathroom fittings that reference the previous century’s design movements.

LIGNE ROSET
155 Wooster St.
btw. Prince and W. Houston Sts.
(212) 253-5629
ligne-roset-usa.com
Contemporary home furnishings by Didier Gomez, Pascal Mourgue, Peter Maly, Inga Sempé, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, and others.

LUCEPLAN
49 Greene St.
btw. Grand and Broome Sts.
(212) 966-1399, luceplan.com
Contemporary lighting by Alberto Meda, Paolo Rizzatto, and others.

MOLTENI&C/DADA
60 Greene St.
btw. Broome and Spring Sts.

(212) 673-7106
molteni.it
The New York flagship for Molteni&C’s furnishings and Dada’s kitchens. Designed by Studio Cerri & Associati.

MOROSO AND MAHARAM
146 Greene St.
btw. Prince and W. Houston Sts.
(212) 334-7222
morosousa.com
maharam.com
Two distinct companies share a Patricia Urquiola–designed showroom for contemporary textiles and furniture.

THE NEW TRADITIONALISTS 524 Broadway, Ste. 206
at Spring St.
(212) 226-1868
thenewtraditionalists.com
A contemporary twist on classic, handmade furniture.

POLTRONA FRAU NEW YORK
145 Wooster St.
btw. Prince and W. Houston Sts.
(212) 777-7592
poltronafrau.com
Distinctive Italian leather furniture in a space by Massimo Vignelli.

PROPERTY
14 Wooster St.
btw. Canal and Grand Sts.
(917) 237-0123
propertyfurniture.com
Exclusive, cutting-edge designs by Tom Dixon, Ferruccio Laviani, Joe Columbo, Paola Navone, Jeremy Cole, and others.

ROOM & BOARD
105 Wooster St.
btw. Spring and Prince Sts.
(212) 334-4343
roomandboard.com
Minneapolis-based retailer offering timeless designs for modern living.

THE RUG COMPANY
88 Wooster St.
btw. Broome and Spring Sts.
(212) 274-0444
therugcompany.info
Luxury brand in handmade contemporary rugs and wall hangings.

THE SHADE STORE
480 Broome St.
btw. Greene and Wooster Sts.
800-754-1455
theshadestore.com
Flagship for leading designs in custom window treatments.

SHIMNA
325 Lafayette St.
btw. Houston and Bleecker Sts.
(212) 529-6616
shimna.net
Custom-designed and -fabricated furnishings and case goods.

SICIS THE ART OF THE MOSAIC FACTORY
470 Broome St.
at Greene St.
(212) 965-4100, sicis.com
Artistic mosaic for the modern age.

THE TOTO GALLERY
25 Mercer St.
btw. Canal and Grand Sts.
(917) 237-0665
totousa.com
Eco-luxury bath products from the world’s largest plumbing manufacturer.

USM MODULAR FURNITURE
28–30 Greene St.
btw. Canal and Grand Sts.
(212) 371-1230, usm.com
Design solutions for the home and office, including furniture by Haller, Kitos, Display, and eleven22.

VALCUCINE
66 Crosby St.
btw. Broome and Spring Sts.
(212) 253-5969
na.valcucine.com
Kitchen cabinets and accessories focused on aesthetics and creativity.

VITSOE
33 Bond St.
btw. Bowery and Lafayette St.
(917) 675-6990
vitsoe.com
Furniture and shelving designed by Dieter Rams.

GALLERIES

ARTISTS SPACE
38 Greene St., 3rd fl.
btw. Grand and Broome Sts.
(212) 226-3970
artistsspace.org
Showcase for emerging contemporary art in New York since 1972.

THE DRAWING CENTER
35 Wooster St.
btw. Grand and Broome Sts.
(212) 219-2166
drawingcenter.org
Bookstore of publications on drawing, with a gallery at 40 Wooster St.

GALLERY BAC
16 Crosby St.
btw. Howard and Grand Sts.
(212) 431-6151
gallerybac.com
French and Scandinavian fine design from the interwar period.

LUMAS
362 W. Broadway
btw. Grand and Broome Sts.
(212) 219-9497
lumas.com
A diverse selection of passionate and accessible signed works from new and established photographers.

STOREFRONT FOR ART AND ARCHITECTURE 97 Kenmare St.
btw. Mulberry and Lafayette Sts.
(212) 431-5795
storefrontnews.org
Nonprofit organization showcasing art, architecture, and design projects whose exterior features the distinctive rotating panels of the Acconci/Holl Facade Project.

MUSEUMS & INSTITUTIONS

ARCHITECTURAL LEAGUE OF NEW YORK
549 Broadway, Ste. 607
at Houston St.
(212) 753-1722, archleague.org
Nonprofit arts organization with exhibitions to foster young architects and create discussion, founded in 1881.

CENTER FOR ARCHITECTURE AIA NEW YORK CHAPTERS
536 LaGuardia Pl.
btw. Bleecker and W. 3rd Sts.
(212) 683-0023, aiany.org
A public resource dedicated to architecture and design.

MUSEUM OF COMIC AND CARTOON ART
594 Broadway, Ste. 401
btw. Prince and W. Houston Sts.
(212) 254-3511
moccany.org
An artistic and historical goldmine of comics and cartooning.

SHOPS

ALESSI 130 Greene St.
at Prince St.
(212) 941-7300
alessi.com
Designed by Asymptote to house a range of more than 3,000 products plus a coffee bar.

CAMPER 110 Prince St.
at Wooster St.
(212) 343-4220
camper.com
New York flagship for colorful Spanish shoes in a space designed by Shigeru Ban.

CAPPELLINI
152 Wooster St.
at W. Houston St.
(212) 966-0669
cappellini.it
Modern Italian furniture design that continually delights.

CITE
131 Greene St.
btw. Prince and W. Houston Sts.
(212) 431-7272, citenyc.com
Exclusive contemporary collections from Cecchini of Italy, Palau, Freitag, and others.

DASHWOOD BOOKS
33 Bond St.
btw. Lafayette St. and Bowery
(212) 387-8520
dashwoodbooks.com
The city’s only independent bookstore devoted entirely to photography.

THE FUTURE PERFECT 55 Great Jones St.
btw. Lafayette St. and Bowery
(212) 473-2500
Furniture and objects from local and international designers. Also see location in Brooklyn.

HOUSING WORKS BOOKSTORE CAFE
126 Crosby St.
btw. Prince and Houston Sts.
(212) 334-3324
housingworks.org
Fantastic bookstore and café with profits going to HIV/AIDS services. Great events series.

JACK SPADE
56 Greene St. at Broome St.
(212) 625-1820, jackspade.com
Menswear, bags, and display ephemera are all for sale at this unconventional boutique.

JONATHAN ADLER
47 Greene St.
btw. Grand and Broome Sts.
(212) 941-8950
jonathanadler.com
Fun, handcrafted ceramics, wall decor, textiles, lighting, curiosities, and home furnishings. New Upper West Side location at 304 Columbus Ave. at W. 74th St.

KIDROBOT
118 Prince St.
btw. Greene and Wooster Sts.
(212) 966-6688, kidrobot.com
Limited-edition toys by renowned artists with backgrounds in graffiti and fine art, industrial and graphic design, illustration, and music.

KIOSK
95 Spring St., 2nd fl.
btw. Broadway and Mercer St.
(212) 226-8601, kioskkiosk.com
Rotating inventory of curated tchotchkes plus monthly “mini-exhibitions” of design and craft miscellanea.

MATTER 405 Broome St.
btw. Centre and Lafayette Sts.
(212) 343-2600
mattermatters.com
Design objects, furniture, and lighting for industry specialists and connoisseurs.

MOMA DESIGN STORE SOHO 81 Spring St. at Crosby St.
(646) 613-1367, momastore.org
Arguably the best museum gift shop in town, with an art-driven inventory and extensive book collection.

MUJI
455 Broadway
btw. Howard and Grand Sts.
(212) 334-2002
muji.com
Minimalist Japanese designs, from stationery to kitchenware.

PARTNERS & SPADE 40 Great Jones St.
btw. Lafayette St. and Bowery
(646) 861-2827
partnersandspade.com
Presents a constantly re-imagined group show of artwork, objects, collections, and ideas. Open weekends; weekdays by appt.

PEARL PAINT
308 Canal St.
btw. Broadway and Church St.
(212) 431-7932
pearlpaint.com
Massive art-supply store packed with tools and materials.

PEARL RIVER MART
477 Broadway
btw. Grand and Broome Sts.
(212) 431-4770
pearlriver.com
One-stop shop for affordable Asian ceramics, clothing, novelties, and home accessories.

PRADA
575 Broadway
btw. Prince and Houston Sts.
(212) 334-8888
prada.com
Luxury fashion store designed by Rem Koolhaas, located in a former branch of the Guggenheim Museum.

PYLONES
69 Spring St.
btw. Lafayette and Crosby Sts.
(212) 431-3244
pylones-usa.com
Great for colorful tchotchkes and fun, kitschy gift items.

TASCHEN
107 Greene St.
btw. Spring and Prince Sts.
(212) 226-2212
taschen.com
Art, design, and pop culture titles in a space designed by Philippe Starck.

RESTAURANTS & BARS

BLUE RIBBON SUSHI
119 Sullivan St.
btw. Spring and Prince Sts.
(212) 343-0404
blueribbonrestaurants.com
Mouthwatering, upscale sushi restaurant.

BOQUERIA
171 Spring St.
btw. W. Broadway and Thompson St.
(212) 343-4255
boquerianyc.com
Second New York location for Catalonian tapas, designed by Meyer Davis Studio.

FANELLI’S CAFÉ
94 Prince St. at Mercer St.
(212) 226-9412
Old-fashioned pub located on this corner since 1847.

MERCER KITCHEN
99 Prince St. at Mercer St.
(212) 966-5454

jean-georges.com
Swank, subterranean, exposed-brick eatery.

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