The new Design Within Reach Tools for Living store opened today on Wooster Street in SoHo. Since my office is a few short blocks away, I decided to check it out at lunch. The purpose of the mission was actually get a flask that I saw the previous day on 10engines. You see, the flask wasn’t available online at the time and when I called DWR they said, “the new Tools for Living store, which opens tomorrow, will have this in stock.” Perfect. Upon arrival to the neatly organized bi-level shop, my jaw hit the newly installed floor. The upper section of the store offers home, kitchen, office goods, so I headed directly to the lower level for the more brutish “tools” section.
Downstairs I found a selection of nostalgic lawn games, gardening tools, a lawnmower (clearly for merchandising purposes), a group of canvas Filson bags (who doesn’t sell Filson these days – not that I am complaining), Klein tool bags (the fact that they are selling Klein blows my mind), the best first aid kit I have ever seen, a fatigue green powder coated folding hand shovel, portable burner for camping / grilling, a set of knit finger puppets for kids, plus all sorts of other clean and classic goods. The product assorment sort of made my head spin. The merch was similar to what you would expect from Restoration Hardware only much, much better. Many of these items are available on the DWR website, but to see everything in one space was mesmerizing. The merchandising is on point with any store I have ever been to. Color me obsessed.
The lower level.
The upper level features office, home and kitchen goods. Not to mention helpful and good looking staffers eager to assist.
Mission accomplished. My new Stanley flask and a wood bird call (taking me back to my childhood trips to The Holden Arboretum in Ohio).
DWR Tools for Living: 142 Wooster Street, New York City (212) 471-0280
Am coming to NYC tonight for the weekend, actually staying in SoHo, and am sprinting at top speed over here. Thanks ACL! Am becoming more and more obsessed with this blog.
did they have the DWR airstream in there too?? flask-tastic.
The flask is for your coffee, right?
How many ounces can that flask hold?
It holds 8 oz.
You can also get the flask directly from the Stanley website and save yourself 4 bucks. I guess the bourge tax is at 12%.
You neglected to consider two things:
1. Instant gratification
2. Shipping costs
I’d say its a wash. Also, if I cared about being over charged for things do you think I would choose to live in Manhattan?
If that green powder coated folding shovel is what I think it is, we used to call them “Entrenching Tools.” They are extremely useful and very good for dispatching snakes, among other things.
The Flask is available online – the link from Uncrate is broken. Type in “Flask” in the dwr.com site and it will come up. It is a lovely, and useful object.
Love that flask. I collect Stanley thermoses, and am adding it to ‘my must obtain immediately’ list.
(My summer job in high school was at the Holden Arboretum. Or, as we called it, The Hold’em and Beat’um. Good times.)
Or click on the link in the post above, or go to the store!
I wondered where I would find that!
I definitely don’t live in New York…
You are making me miss NYC! Ahhh.
So glad to see some photos of the interior. NOTCOT has a post on the invite (http://www.notcot.com/archives/2008/09/the_invite_dwr.php#more)
and it is pretty nice. There was also an interview in the latest Dwell with the creative director for DWR and their new direction. I know I live for what I call design “chotchkies”….you know, beautiful little design objects that are easily attainable.
I will be checking out the store the next time I’m in the city.
Is that the old Stussy space?