michele varian: a little bit of domino in the real world

January 21st, 2010 | manhattan

i feel like i should have known about michele varian for ages, but for some reason i had never even heard of it, or at least noticed that her wares had been popping up in domino until the last few months or so. when i finally went by, i was thrilled to find yet another great, little unusual gem of a shop with a slightly different focus than some of my other home store favorites like john derian, mxyplyzyk and auto.  the shop has a wide range of home goods in a number of different materials including ceramic (soda pop vases), pewter (moose salt and pepper shakers), glass (thermoses), platinum (rimmed tumblers) and wood (seahorses, vintage sewing spools, tape measures and staplers). 

michele varian has something for everyone i think and would be particularly good for that mother-in-law or aunt you don’t see all that often but need to bring just the right thing.  there is a wide range of pricepoints too.  some fun gift ideas include leather quill pens, porcelain geodome birdhouses as well as plenty of serving trays, salad bowls and saki sets. michele varian also has a small collection of very appealing jewelry. i fell for the seahorse necklaces.   michele varian also dips into furnishings a bit with a small selection of rugs and some embroidered quilts.   michele herself is the designer of many handmade pillows (with lots of luxurious silks and velvets with these great leather ties) as well as duvet covers and other bed coverings.

in addition to finding this great little store, i really love this neighborhood. it feels a lot like soho before it became a major mall.  the area is a bit east of broadway but not part of nolita, and just on the verge of chinatown. i’m sure there’s some hokey name for the neighborhood, but personally i just like exploring the few blocks nearby where you can find posteritati, built by wendy, papabubble and even a surfer shop; and for food oro is not too far away.   believe me, i will be roaming around here some more in the weeks to come.  michele varian, 35 crosby street between grand and broome streets, manhattan, new york, .  also at abc carpet & home, ground floor/level 1, 888 broadway at 19th street.

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