Listed are some of the coolest independent shops in Washington DC.
To begin, select a neighborhood and/or tag from below.
The stores associated with your selection will appear right here and on the map.
American Studio Plus
American Studio Plus is going to look a bit intimidating from the outside. There are lots of sleek, modern accessories on display and the staff...
Apartment Zero
Apartment Zero's 2700 square feet is full of modern furniture and accessories. This in itself is nothing to write home about. Apartment Zero...
Capitol Hill Books
Dewey (think decimal system) would like have a coronary if he ever found his way to Capitol Hill Books. The cozy two-story house is overrun with...
Coup de Foudre
Reader Suggested: Coup de Foudre is a Parisian-style lingerie boutique. Lining the walls of the small, sleek space are bras, camisoles, chemises and loungewear by...
Denim Bar
Reader Suggested: Labeled one of the top 100 stores in the US in 2006 by GQ magazine, this denim boutique serves not only the most premium, hip denim in the area,...
Denim Bar
Reader Suggested: Labeled one of the top 100 stores in the US in 2006 by GQ magazine, this denim boutique serves not only the most premium, hip denim in the area,...
Go Mama Go
Fine dining restaurants may be obsessed with all white all the time tableware, but that doesn't mean you need to be. Go Mama Go prefers it...
Gore Dean
Imagine an Antiques Road Show best-of-the-best episode and that'll give you a bit of insight into what Gore Dean is like. Inside a magical...
Habitat
Less is more at Habitat. Rather than clutter their cozy space, they chose to keep their stock simple but stunning. The store offers a small...
Home Rule
A temple to practical contemporary design, Home Rule is all about replacing your mundane household items with cool, modern versions of the same....
Hu's Shoes
An Asian themed gallery of fine footwear, shoes at Hu's Shoes come in two general models: sexy and sexier. Think high heels, thin straps and...
Idle Time Books
Idle Time Books is not the most extensive used book store you're going to find, but there's something about the cozy environs that draws...
Illuminations
Illumintations is a modern lighting store that knows its audience. Among the more reserved and conservative atmosphere of the Capitol, the store...
Illuminations
Illumintations is a modern lighting store that knows its audience. Among the more reserved and conservative atmosphere of the Capitol, the store...
J. Press
J. Press has been dressing Ivy League men since 1902 and from the look of things they haven't changed much in the past century or so. The...
Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe
Sure you can get a Mocha-soy-fritzo-latte at just about any bookstore, but how many serve bourbon? Kramerbooks & Afterwords does, its full bar...
La Cuisine
Don't let the small space fool you, La Cuisine is better stocked than many large kitchen chains we've seen. The store specializes in...
Millennium Decorative Arts
You could think of the furniture, accessories and clothing that fill Millennium Decorative Arts as retro. We prefer to think of the store as a...
Muleh
Reader Suggested: A unique lifestyle store that mixes very cool furniture, fashion and art you don't find everywhere.
Nana
Reader Suggested: I grew up in DC and went away for college. I never had any plans of coming back, but Nana almost single-handedly changed that. I have always been...
Proper Topper
What do Paul Newman, Bill Clinton and Andre Agassi have in common? They're all known for their special talents in a particular area and...
Proper Topper
What do Paul Newman, Bill Clinton and Andre Agassi have in common? They're all known for their special talents in a particular area, and...
Relish
One of the fundamental jobs of a good clothing boutique is to filter and tailor the world's best fashions for local audiences. For the DC...
Sassanova
Once you've walked into a hundred shoe stores it's tough to distinguish one eight hundred dollar shoe made of parrot feathers from...
Second Story Books
Specializing in rare and out-of-print titles, Second Story Books does not have that flea market feel of other used bookstores. Here, books past...
Second Story Books
Specializing in rare and out-of-print titles, Second Story Books does not have that flea market feel of other used bookstores. Here, books past...
Second Story Books
Specializing in rare and out-of-print titles, Second Story Books does not have that flea market feel of other used bookstores. Here, books past...
Sherman Pickey
So you're supposed to play tennis with the girls at the club this afternoon and you don't have a thing to wear. Don't worry,...
Skynear
We're not sure what "Skynear" is referencing, but we're guessing it has something to do with their 4 levels of furniture and...
Tabletop
You wish your tabletop was this cool. The collection of items in Tabletop is so cool, that we're almost disappointed not to find a DJ...
Terra
Reader Suggested: Terra is a lifestyle boutique specializing in distinct gifts, accessories, and clothing for men and women. I carry a range of emerging designers...
The Back Doors Warehouse
Housing basically all the architectural antiques that wouldn't fit in its smaller sister store, The Back Door Warehouse is full of treasures....
The Brass Knob
Ever buy yourself a 19th century Victorian and struggled to find period appropriate knobs, fixtures and pulls. Yeah, us too. Well fret no more,...
The Shoe Hive
Like any self-respecting hive, The Shoe Hive has a multitude of role-players. Worker bees--cute everyday heels and flats that are reasonably...
The Written Word
Next to The Written Word all those other paper and stationery stores look like (in the words of Governor Arnold) "girly men". The store...
Woven History/Silk Road
The Silk Road was an ancient trade route that linked Europe to much of China. Silk Road, the store, captures some of the magic of the fabled route...
Woven History/Silk Road
The Silk Road was an ancient trade route that linked Europe to much of China. Silk Road, the store, captures some of the magic of the fabled route...
Zawadi
Focusing on African and African-American furnishings, art, artifacts and accessories, Zawadi brings together distinctive items into its long,...
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