A full range of home goods, all here on the Hill

by Stacia Friedman
Posted 9/22/22

Chestnut Hill furniture showrooms are as diverse as homeowners’ lifestyles.

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A full range of home goods, all here on the Hill

Posted

Chestnut Hill furniture showrooms are as diverse as homeowners’ lifestyles. Whether you are furnishing your first apartment or a second home at the shore, you’ll find an exciting array of home décor options right on Germantown Avenue. 

Summer Classics Home

8040 Germantown Ave.

If walking into Summer Classics Home gives you a feeling of deja vu, there’s a good reason. 

“When the owner of Hill Company, an outdoor furniture shop previously located at the top of the Hill, retired three years ago, she sold her business to Alabama-based Summer Classics Home,” said Kim McCarthy who worked at Hill Company for ten years before joining the Summer Classics team at their new location in May 2019. 

“The Hill Company sold twenty lines of furniture, including Summer Classics,” McCarthy said. “So we are actually the same store at a different location.” However, at their present location, they also offer indoor furniture, lighting, area rugs, mirrors and home décor accessories - everything needed for a well-furnished home. 

The 11,000-square-foot showroom, which seems to go on forever, displays contemporary high-end furniture.  How high? Outdoor chaise lounges could cost up to $3,000, throw pillows as much as $200. But throughout the year, Summer Classic Home offers deep discounts. Currently, all floor models are half price.

“Our indoor furniture is made by Gabby Home and our throw pillows are all made in North Carolina.” said Tracy Meyne, manager. Decorative accents include handcrafted Indonesian wooden and woven objects, aromatic candles and a wide array of chandeliers. What sets them apart? “We will come to your home and design for your space, regardless of how big or small, at no extra charge,” Meyne said. “Everything we do is custom made.” For information visit summerclassicshome.com/philadelphia

The Modern Republic

8532 Germantown Ave.

For the last three months, the shop on the northwest corner of Germantown and West Evergreen Avenues has been the home of The Modern Republic which specializes in vintage Mid-Century Modern furniture, art and décor.  They were invited to open a pop-up shop here by Ann Nevel, the Chestnut Hill Business District’s retail advocate and Hillary O’Carroll, coordinator of marketing, events and social media. “I’m so excited to have them here,” said Nevel who visited Modern Republic’s 1600 Girard Avenue location and loved what she saw. “They will be a pop-up shop through the end of the year and will, hopefully, find a permanent location on the Hill,” she said.

If you grew up in the 1950s or 60s, you will recognize the familiar designs, colors and texture that may have furnished your parents’ home. Now considered highly collectible, these vintage pieces are coveted by a new generation of homeowners. Brands include Lane, Drexel, Natuzzi and Knoll. This is where you’ll find a black leather and chrome Barcelona chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for $7,000 or a Drexel credenza for $2,500. 

The Modern Republic was originally launched in 2018 at the Brooklyn Flea market by two friends, Kenya Abdul-Hadi, a former Germantown fashion designer and Steven Brown, a Chester contractor.  When the pandemic shut down the flea market, they opened a retail shop at 1600 W. Girard Avenue in a rapidly-gentrifying neighborhood. 

“We source furniture from as far as North Carolina, New England and Chicago,” said Brown who is delighted with the reception his pop-up shop is receiving on the Hill. “The community has really welcomed us,” he said. To see what it’s all about, stop by their Chestnut Hill shop and have a chat with Jordan Taylor, The Modern Republic’s marketing director. 

Discount Mid-Century Modern

960 E. Mermaid Lane, Bldg 13A

Only a truly determined shopper will find Discount Mid-Century Modern. Hidden away in a Wyndmoor industrial complex at Mermaid Lane and Queen Street, just finding their front door is a challenge. But as soon as you enter the vast 6,000-square-foot warehouse, you quickly realize it’s worth the trouble. 

As far as the eye can see, Mid-Century Modern treasures are on view, floor to ceiling, all in excellent condition at prices far below the going rate. For a connoisseur of Mid-Century Modern, it’s all here - Eames, MillerKnoll, Lane, Kent Coffey - all within budget and in tip-top condition. No high pressure salesmanship here. You will be encouraged to wander freely and see what speaks to you.

“We are Philly’s best kept secret,” said the owner, a congenial guy with Southern charm named Jeff, who like Cher, goes by just one name. Jeff’s passion for Mid-Century Modern furniture is the engine that keeps his business growing. 

“I started the business in my garage in Flourtown. Later, I had two warehouses in North Wales before opening in Wyndmoor three years ago,” he said. “We buy the coolest furniture, make it look as awesome as possible and sell it as low as we can.”

Meanwhile, in the back of the warehouse, artisans skillfully restore vintage furniture, bringing it back to its original beauty. Discount Mid-Century Modern makes it easy to fall in love with a credenza, a teak dining table or chair. “If you want to take it home and try it, fine,” Jeff said. “Want to put it on layaway? No problem.” You can even decide if you want to buy a piece of furniture “as is'' or have it restored.

Open seven days a week by appointment. For more information, visit DiscountMCM.com

Pompanoosuc Mills

8400 Germantown Ave.

Inside the showroom at Pompanoosuc Mills, shoppers will find what the company calls its  “forever furniture,” which is built by hand at the store's workshop in Thetford, Vt. The Chestnut Hill outpost of the Vermont-based firm, which has several showrooms on the East Coast, opened earlier this year, after the Pompanoosuc Mills in Manayunk closed.

Company artisans build furniture to order, using sustainably-sourced hardwoods that are responsibly harvested from the forests of North America. Their pieces are contemporary with clean lines that let the beauty of the wood shine through.

If you’re unfamiliar with “Pompy,” stop by to learn about their commitment to wood from sustainable sources, including tiger maple, spalted maple, birdseye maple, quilted maple, butternut, bastogne walnut and reclaimed redwood. That commitment to sustainability includes sending wood waste into a clean-burning cogeneration plant, which provides 100 percent of the Vermont headquarters’ heat in the winter and about 10 percent of the electricity in the summer. For information visit pompy.com

Tailored Home

8528 Germantown Ave.

The luxury retail store and interior design firm is the work of Starr Osborne who expanded her home staging company, Tailored Transitions, to include full-service moving management, interior design services and in 2016, The Tailored Home.

Starr, a Yale University graduate whose background includes work at Sotheby’s and Christie’s in New York, offers carefully curated brands of fine china and glass, home accessories, bespoke gifts and customized furniture. For information, visit: shoptailoredhome.com.


Host Interiors

7908 Germantown Ave. 

Host Interiors focuses on “helping our customers create interiors that are beautiful, functional and a true reflection of their personal style.”

Their showrooms, which include one in Ardmore, features a collection of handcrafted custom upholstery and home décor with furniture constructed and crafted using environmentally-sustainable practices. Established in 2006, the store offers a wide selection of upholstery, tables, rugs, lighting, art, and unique accessories. For information, visit hostinteriors.com.