Impressive Objects from Around the Globe

ARKA Living

At this fascinating store, global inspiration joins forces with minimalism to create striking stone-and-wood furniture that beautifully melds simple shapes with brilliant textures. 4715 Main St. Ste. A, 832-455-9859, arkaliving.com

Balinskas Imports

This shop’s contemporary exterior belies its treasure trove of architectural antiques, textiles and furnishings, imported from places like Nepal, Afghanistan and Mexico. 410 Martin Rd., 713-227-7919, balinskasimports.com

Laurier Blanc

Owner Suzanne Coppola travels the globe in search of interesting and beautiful objects. Visit her expanded store near Rice Village, and she’ll tell you all about how she found her gilded Burmese trunks, Parisian prints and beaded Kenyan jewelry. 1926 Bissonnet St., 513-760-0040, laurierblanc.com

Extravagant Accessories You Never Knew You Needed

Manor

Houstonian Beth Delozier-Hayes’s online shop is filled with girlie home goods from coasters to lamps, affordable art prints to furniture. shopthemanor.com

Mecox

This Southampton-based store will add a dose of drama to any interior, whether in the form of a glorious malachite secretary or a jadeite-colored, recycled-glass coffee table. 3912 Westheimer Rd., 713-355-2100, mecox.com

Merchant & Market

You’re guaranteed to find something you simply must have at designer Gino Vian’s eclectic storefront. Maybe it’s a miniature clawfoot tub, a chesterfield sofa, a bust of Mozart, or a tobacco and patchouli candle—who knows? The possibilities are endless. 1637 Westheimer Rd., 346-204-4596, mrchmrkt.com

Mid-Century Styling at Vintage Prices

High Fashion Home

Whether your style is organic midcentury, Hollywood Regency–glam or eclectic–urban contemporary, this five-story showroom will have what you’re looking for. 3100 Travis St., 713-528-3838, highfashionhome.com

Joybird Furniture

Love vintage furniture but hate how small the sofas are? The internet brand’s first and only showroom solves that problem with midcentury styles that are completely customizable. 1735 Westheimer Rd., 832-831-3037, joybird.com

TB3Home

The midcentury-inspired wares at this warehouse studio are shockingly affordable. You’ll find good-looking tables, chairs and sofas, the last of which start at less than $800—basically, IKEA money. 2301 Dallas St., 713-322-4264, tb3home.com

Everything for Elegant Entertaining

Bering’s

Houston’s ne plus ultra of hardware stores offers the big names in tabletop décor—Riedel, Le Creuset, Reed & Barton and the like—along with all the grills and kitchen gadgets you could ever need. Multiple locations, berings.com

Blue Leaf

This neighborhood shop offers one of the town’s most registry-worthy collections of china and dinnerware, by MacKenzie-Childs, L’Object, Anna Weatherly and more. 2303 South Blvd., 713-520-9975, blueleafhouston.com

Seeing Pink Elephants

It’s no longer unusual to see vintage glass sets at stores around town, but this collection is unmatched, ranging from tiki glasses and bar carts to classic designs by Culver and Fred Press. 2311 Westheimer Rd. (in the River Oaks Antiques & Interiors Pavilion), 713-828-8613, facebook.com/midcenturybarware

A Piece of Houston’s Past

Historic Houston Salvage Warehouse

Members of this non-profit head here for yesteryear’s preserved pine floors, plantation shutters, patina-ed hardware and intricate millwork. Non-members can explore, too, at the open house on Oct. 29. Joanna Gaines would be proud!
1200 National St., 713-522-0542, historichouston.org/salvage-warehouse

The Reclaimed Wood Shop

Town meets country in this shop’s vast selection of rustic salvaged pieces, which includes cypress beams, butcher blocks and barn doors complete with original hardware. 2102 West 34th St., 832-206-7300, thereclaimedwoodshop.com

Recoop Designs

This custom shop offers lighting, art and reclaimed furniture. Want to preserve a fallen tree? They’ll make it into a custom dining table for you. 1714 W. 23rd St., 346-352-4921, recoopdesigns.com

Luxurious Linens

Biscuit Home

Bored with basic bedding, in 2012 designer Bailey McCarthy not only launched her own line but opened her own adorable shop, filled with cheery colors and exuberant prints. 1435 Westheimer Rd., 713-942-979, biscuit-home.com

Longoria Collection

Everything in this shop feels opulent, from furniture to accessories to coffee-table books. But nothing impresses more than the bedding: so-pretty-you’ll-make-your-bed sheets from Yves Delorme, Frette, and Houston-based Tribute Goods. 1101 Uptown Park Blvd., 713-621-4241, longoriacolletion.com   

Mela & Roam

Give your bedroom that well-traveled look with textiles from Houston-based site Mela & Roam, sourced from owner Courtney Barton’s extensive travels through Southeast Asia. melaandroam.com

Cutting-Edge Design

Carol Piper Rugs

At this light-filled gallery space, the rugs are artworks in their own right, from a Miró-inspired textile hanging, to antique Khotans and Oushaks, to Piper’s own collaborations with local artists and designers. 1809 W. Gray, 713-524-2442, carolpiperrugs.com

Kuhl-Linscomb

Design aficionados can easily spend hours here, exploring lighting by Tom Dixon, textiles by Missoni Home, seating by Fritz Hansen and much, much more. 2424 West Alabama St., 713-526-6000, kuhl-linscomb.com

Tienda X

Owned by talented designers Garrett Hunter and Michael Landrum, Tienda X (pronounced ‘equis’) is the cooler-than-cool gallery to hit when you’re looking for something amazing and a little avant-garde, whether it’s furniture or artwork. 1420 West Alabama St., 713-534-1257, tiendaequis.com

Every Light Fixture Under the Sun

Brown

If you’d rather get a root canal than shop from a cookie-cutter catalogue, this store’s for you, offering antique lighting and custom creations you won’t see on any other showroom floor. 2940 Ferndale St., 713-522-2151, shopbybrown.com

LIGHT

A purveyor of more than 130 world-renowned brands, this shop is a fixture in the design community thanks to its bright and airy showroom, chock-full of products for every style, space and budget. 4202 Richmond Ave., 713-640-5568, thelightcompany.net

Neon Gallery

For more than 30 years, self-taught neon artist Tim Walker has been blowing glass and fabricating custom neon signs that are great for your local watering hole and your living room alike. 1416 W. Alabama St., 713-528-5922, theneongallery.com

Sleek European Modernism

BeDESIGN

This is a one-stop shop for furnishings that are Euro-chic without looking cheap. Think Paola Lenti seating, Nanimarquina rugs and Pianca couches. 2016 W. Alabama St., 713-623-1177, be-design.us

Cantoni

This contemporary purveyor boasts not only the largest selection of modern furnishings in Houston, but 10 on-staff interior designers. 9889 Westheimer Rd., 713-787-9494, cantoni.com

Internum

A showroom stocked with high-end Italian furnishings? Now that’s amore. Emphasizing quality European craftsmanship, the place stocks sought-after brands like B&B Italia and Kasthall. 3303 Kirby Dr., 832-242-9470, internum.com

Villa-Worthy European Antiques

Back Row Home

This isn’t your great aunt’s antique store. Showcasing early European and American furnishings, it also touts a wide variety of on-trend home accessories. 8570 Katy Frwy., 713-827-9292, backrowhome.com

Chateau Domingue

Specializing in French, Italian and Belgian antiques, this is the city’s premiere importer of European furnishings and architectural salvage. Don’t forget to check out the adorable orangerie out back. 3615 W. Alabama St. 713-961-3444. chateaudomingue.com

Joyce Horn Antiques

For decades, the Horn family has scouted Europe a couple times a year, bringing gorgeous armoires, trumeaux and settees back to Houston. Insiders know to show up early on days when new containers arrive. 7065 Old Katy Rd., 713-688-0507, joycehornantiques.com

The Best Pieces to Beautify Your Bathroom or Kitchen

Expressions Home Gallery

Everything you want (a Kohler steam shower) and forgot you needed (flush-mount lighting and door hinges), you’ll find at this well-stocked destination. 7071 Southwest Fwy., 713-781-2222, expressionshomegallery.com

Snaidero

Admit it: The kitchen is your favorite room of the house. So deck it out in a decadent design from this award-winning Italian cabinet outfitter. 3801 Kirby Dr., 832-426-4764, snaidero-usa.com

Westheimer Plumbing & Hardware

Family-owned and -operated since 1976, this revered Houston institution offers decorative hardware, plumbing and fixtures. If its showroom doesn’t inspire you to get cracking on that home renovation, we don’t know what will. 3600 Kirby Dr., 713-942-9519, westheimerplumbing.com

The Makings of an Outdoor Oasis

Janus Et Cie

Rain, shine or snow—well, probably not snow—this industry leader’s outdoor furniture, made with high-quality aluminum and concrete faux bois, will bring, and take, the heat. 3935 San Felipe St. 713-621-5950, janusetcie.com

Restoration Hardware

This design institution continues to boast classic outdoor pieces such as chaise lounges and teak dining tables, showcased on the third-floor open-air terrace of its spectacular Highland Village store. 4030 Westheimer Rd., 713-328-3100, restorationhardware.com

Thompson + Hanson

Turn that uninspiring lawn into an entertaining haven with help from this nursery and garden boutique, which is also a full service-landscape architecture firm. 3600 W. Alabama St., 713-622-0602, thompsonhanson.com