Help me with a specific kind of window-shopping.

October 8, 2011 5:35 PM

What are some online shops with a smallish number of interesting, simple, classic items?

I really like browsing Canoe and Kauffman Mercantile because they have a smaller number of classic, simple things that are useful and also well-designed. I've bought a few cheaper items from there that were of use to me, but I mostly just like browsing the sites.
I'm looking for similar online stores. A google-type search came up with a few things, but the shops were either men's items-specific (like clothing or men's shaving gear, but nothing for women, see: this post), were really clothing-heavy (I'm more interested in housewares and those types of objects), exclusively sell things in the hundreds+ dollars, or just have way too much stuff, instead of a smaller number of well-selected things.

posted by fructose to Shopping (15 answers total)

Its items may be more frou than you're looking for (often whimsical rather than clean-lined and utilitarian), but Ten Thousand Villages often offers lovely, reasonably-priced items* from artisans around the world. I like this teapot.

* Versus J. Peterman's $325 pepper mill.
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:54 PM on October 8, 2011 [6 favorites]

Best answer: The Museum of Useful Things. Great site with lots of amazing items.
posted by buttercup at 6:43 PM on October 8, 2011

I have had some luck clicking through some of the uncrate links, though there is a lot of chaff. You might also pick up a copy of Moncole.

I am swooning over a pencil case on the Kauffman Mercantile site.
posted by shothotbot at 6:48 PM on October 8, 2011

Best answer: Merchant No. 4 - mostly expensive, but gorgeous, and few cheaper things.
Mjolk - ditto
A+R
Brook Farms General Store
Ancient Industries
Kiosk - they do rotating collections based on places they've recently traveled
The Shop at Cooper-Hewitt
posted by grapesaresour at 7:01 PM on October 8, 2011

Response by poster: Thanks all so far! I just realized the word I was grasping for while writing my post-- minimalist.
posted by fructose at 7:05 PM on October 8, 2011

You might like Terrain. Nice stuff. Owned by Urban Outfitters/Anthropologie but still fairly local.
posted by belau at 7:07 PM on October 8, 2011

Best answer: Three by Three.
posted by amanda at 8:01 PM on October 8, 2011

Best answer: Manufactum
Objects of Use
posted by Lanark at 5:17 AM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Muji.
posted by iviken at 5:30 AM on October 9, 2011

Such a great question. Here are a few English sites I enjoy browsing:

Toast: House & Home
Cabbages & Roses: Homeware
posted by not.so.hip at 7:42 AM on October 9, 2011

Best answer: Svpply for sure.
posted by goateebird at 7:59 AM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Made.com sells furniture and furniture-related items.
Urban Cottage Industries sells a range of lightbulb and lamp fixtures, which sounds boring until you see their squirrel cage filament bulbs
posted by The River Ivel at 2:46 AM on October 10, 2011

Best answer: Present and Correct is a rather lovely stationery site. Sadly I have no current need for stationery...

There's also Pedlars, which is a combination novelty goods/salvage store, but they are not cheap.
posted by mippy at 6:02 AM on October 10, 2011

Best answer: Old Faithful in Vancouver is nice.
posted by wreckingball at 10:49 PM on October 10, 2011

Best answer: Hickoree's Hard Goods
posted by OmieWise at 1:25 PM on October 11, 2011