Ikea Seattle, Room Board and More Must-Shop National Stores
Bigger rarely means better, but we found plenty to praise at local outposts of these national stores
By Shannon O'Leary May 22, 2014
This article originally appeared in the May 2014 issue of Seattle magazine.
Once upon a time, a home item from Nordstrom basically meant a nice chunk of crystal from its gift store. Now, the Bellevue and Seattle locations (downtown, 500 Pine St., 206.628.2111; Bellevue Square, 100 Bellevue Square; 425.455.580) have a bona fide home collection, Nordstrom at Home, boasting everything from sweet Lamp-in-a-Box table lamps ($38) to quirky Reed Wilson doormats ($50).
Beyond appealing contemporary furnishings, Room Board (University Village, 2675 NE University Village St.; 206.336.467) can spare you the frustration of settling for a rug just because it fits your space. The Rugs by the Inch service lets you design a rug down to your specifications. And the rug sample lease program allows you try out a look for as long as six weeks for a refundable $25.
Ikea’s (Renton, 601 SW 41 St.; 888.888.4532) new Fabrikör glass-door cabinet ($179) is a surprisingly old-school industrial-design nod to the 19th century (think World War II–era medicine cabinets). The sturdy steel cabinet (59 inches high) with adjustable shelves is encased in tempered glass—making it a fine showcase for everything from glassware to linens—and is available in very vintage shades: light green, creamy beige and dark gray. (Tip: Make it a lighted cabinet simply by adding Ikea’s Dioder LED light strip, $29.99.)
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