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Shopping
Buenos Aires Design
The concept behind this retail center is pretty innovative: It's a sleek, multistory mall dedicated exclusively to interior design, and it's possible to outfit an entire home with goods purchased here. From Buenos Aires' Recoleta neighborhood store listing.
Shopping
Un Buen Orden
Luis Miguel Parma and Horacio Campillo regularly traverse Argentina, from the southern Patagonian plains up to the dusty highlands near the Paraguayan border, in search of all types of antiques—army medals, swaths of old lace, elaborate chandeliers-then stock their store with the spoils. Despite the shop's name (it translates to "The Good Order"), the way in which the merchandise is displayed is gloriously chaotic.
Shopping
Materia Urbana
Created and run by a coterie of artists, this studio-shop showcases the work of more than 100 different names in the world of Buenos Aires design, from animators and architects to ceramicists and painters. From Buenos Aires' San Telmo neighborhood store listing.
Shopping
& Klevering Zuid
Home and gift items that are affordable—even given the brutish strength of the euro—make this corner shop worth seeking out (there is a second location on Haarlemmerstraat).
Shopping
alfons de letter
One of the signatures of Amsterdam is its antique-looking enamel street signs and house numbers; for the past century, this family-owned concern has been custom-making them for both the city and the general public.
Shopping
dr wonen
Cardboard candelabras, pendant lamps wrapped with images of birch forests, and earthenware cups printed with tongue-in-cheek delft-style windmills are just some of the strikingly unusual-—yet remarkably practical—pieces at this home accessories store.
Shopping
noordermarkt
When it comes to antique markets, Amsterdam's claim to fame is this Mondays-only affair, conveniently located within walking distance of the city center. From 9-ish am to about 2 in the afternoon weekly, a mix of locals and tourists descends on a canalside cobblestone square to scour card tables heaped with collectibles, including mounted antelope skulls, art deco ashtrays, and curvy plastic telephones, all from a hybrid of eras.
Shopping
sprmrkt
This supersize boutique sells vintage Scandinavian furniture, endless pendant lamps, and one of the most inspired selections of clothing in Amsterdam—all in a raw, sky lit space that has the look of a decommissioned airplane hangar. Color is not part of the equation here: Nearly everything in the store comes in black, white, or gray, from the Escape chiffon tops to the mid-century hanging lamps and modular leather couches.
Shopping
Het Grote Avonturr
Het Grote Avontuur is a bilevel spot loaded with amusing trinkets from all over the world, including Russian nesting dolls and tasseled chiffon Chinese lanterns.
Shopping
Design Shop & K Centraal
Design shop & K Centraal, a year-old offshoot of & Klevering Zuid, has a more expansive collection of creative odds and ends than its sister shop (our picks: ceramic chicken eggcups and appliquéd patchwork hangers).
