Park Avenue is home to some of New York City’s most sumptuous interiors, so it’s no surprise that the neighborhood boasts dozens of the design world’s top-notch shops. Luckily, you don’t have to be a professional designer to shop like one. When looking to redesign your new luxury condominium, here are a few stylish interior design stores on the Upper East Side worth visiting, where you can find everything from antiques and carpets to top-of-the-line flatware.
Scully & Scully (504 Park Avenue at 59th street)
Established in 1934, Scully & Scully is the quintessential tasteful, Upper East Side boutique. Elegant furniture, clocks, lighting fixtures, needlepointed floral pillows, and no shortage of sweet porcelain animal figurines are their stock in trade. Scully & Scully offers a bridal registry, and recently launched an interior design service.
James Robinson (480 Park Avenue at 58th Street)
James Robinson is the place to start a new family tradition: they create handmade sterling silver flatware according to historical designs, some dating from the 17th century. Since 1912, they have stocked a dazzling array of antique silver, glass, and porcelain. Their expert silversmiths can create a new design for you based on a family heirloom or pattern you’ve seen and liked, or they can adapt an existing pattern to your taste.
Doris Leslie Blau (306 East 61st Street)
Doris Leslie Blau is the designers’ go-to source for fine carpets. Her showroom, amidst townhouses and luxury apartment buildings on East 61st street, is a grand international tour of color, weave, and texture. They specialize in antique Oriental and European rugs, and create custom designs, too. You’ll find intricately woven Persian rugs, oversized Turkish carpets, Indian weavings, and hard-to-find Arts and Crafts and Art Deco carpets, among many others. Their knowledgeable staff will help you navigate the vast array of techniques and designs you’ll encounter as you browse.
Alessi (30 East 60th Street)
The New York City flagship store of the Italian housewares giant Alessi wouldn’t be complete without a real espresso bar. After you’ve enjoyed a shot of fresh Joe’s coffee, you can explore the museum-like emporium on the Upper East Side where you’ll find everyday treasures like Michael Graves’ iconic kitchen timer, and Philippe Starck’s aluminum citrus juicer. Alessi is world-renowned, but relatively affordable, making it the perfect place to find a modern housewarming gift.
Farrow & Ball (142 East 73rd Street)
At their factory in Dorset, England, Farrow & Ball makes what is arguably the highest quality paint in the world. With thirty percent more pigment than average paints (and free of harmful VOCs), F&B is exceptional. Founded by British chemists Richard Ball and John Farrow in 1932, the company is equally well known for the unforgettable names they give their colors, which include the likes of Charlotte’s Locks (a brilliant orange, inspired by an employee’s hair color) and Elephant’s Breath, which is exactly the sort of soft gray you would imagine it to be. Farrow & Ball also offers an in-home color consultancy service- a convenient option for those who reside in the nearby luxury condos at 737 Park Avenue.
Liz O’Brien (306 East 61st Street)
Clued-in collectors flock to Liz O’Brien’s chic showroom on the Upper East Side in search of distinctive furniture and textiles from the 1940’s through the 1970’s. O’Brien was an early popularizer of noted mid-century American furniture designers like Samuel Marx, William Haines, and John Dickinson. More recently she has championed European industrial designers like Gabriella Crespi, whose steel, brass, and glass furniture perfectly embody Italian jet-set glam. O’Brien recently introduced her Editions line, which features tasteful reproductions of vintage classics.
Treillage (418 East 75th Street)
Founded by interior design legends Bunny Williams and John Rosselli in 1991, Treillage occupies a storybook-like 19th century blacksmith’s shop on East 75th Street. They specialize in furniture and accessories for the garden, and the showroom, housing a lively mix of new and vintage pieces. Cast iron tables, hand-blown glass lanterns, limestone birdbaths, and an assortment of elegant ceramic vessels will inspire you to cultivate your green thumb.
