BestShopSites
Bottom Line Rating*

Best Sites
Capsules/Description

Accolades

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Forbes Review: "The new virtual arm of the ubiquitous bricks-and-catalog home furnishings outfit. Take a tour of a Pottery Barn seasonal home or shop by category for every room in the house. Products can be enlarged or viewed in a typical room context. And while you’re picking out club chairs and dhurrie rugs, you can pick up historical tidbits (Mirrors were originally designed to reflect candlelight, not your face) and how-tos (Got candle wax on your dinner table? Freeze it off with ice cubes in a plastic bag)." (Forbes--click here for full review)

Forbes Top-Rated Favorite in Best of the Web Forbes 9-11-00

Furniture.com
www.furniture.com

EW review: "For once, you can believe the hype. Billed as the largest furniture store in the world, the site features 50,000 pieces from country to casual contemporary. What makes Furniture.com a standout, though, is its meticulous attention to detail and personal service. You can have a live chat with one of 29 design consultants, or receive suggestions through e-mail, snail mail, or over the phone. Fact Tags on many items take the guesswork out of measurements and fabric care, and all deliveries are free and include Red Carpet Service--two delivery reps who are yours for 45 minutes to unpack and assemble your new furniture wherever you want it. This is literal armchair shopping at its best. A+"

Forbes Review: "Hundreds of high quality pieces can be found here, from traditional and contemporary bedroom pieces to modern and country dining room sets. The site has divided up their wares by room or type of accessory, and then again by price, piece and finish to ease your search.... Be prepared to wait though, since the site is painfully slow" (Forbes--click here for full review)

"A+" & "Best of Breed" : Entertainment Weekly 11-12-99

Forbes 9-11-00

Forbes Review: "A clean, spare site dedicated to classic 20th-century furniture. You can acquire affordable repros designed by such modern masters as Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Marcel Breuer, Charles and Ray Eames or Florence Knoll. Or bring home ultrahip contemporary pieces like Philippe Starck’s whimsical and sexy Dr. No chair" (Forbes--click here for full review)

EW review: "Some of the best deals in furniture buying are traditionally available only to the trade, but this welcome site lets the rest of us in on the secret--and the prices. Offering a carefully edited selection of designer tables, chairs, and sofas rather than a slew of options means that most pieces are in stock and deliveries are quick--rare features in the furniture business. And when that selection includes high-end names such as Eames, Sospeso, and Dordoni, it's easy to feel like you've earned your own decorator credentials. A"

Forbes Selection  in Best of the Web Forbes 9-11-00

"A" : Entertainment Weekly 11-12-99

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Forbes Review: "Looking for a $141,000 Regency Daybed with its original gilding? Then visit this fine antiques emporium, featuring inventory from the world’s most exclusive antiques dealers.... If you don’t see what you want, ask them to search for you. .... Best help of all: Ask the Education Staff. We received a detailed e-mail response to our question within minutes" (Forbes--click here for full review)

Forbes Selection in Best of the Web Forbes 9-11-00

Forbes Review: "Armchair shoppers can look like globetrotting connoisseurs after they’ve shopped this worldly e-bazaar, where low-tech craftsmanship meets high-tech delivery. No cookie-cutter, staple-gunned sofas here. Eziba stocks handcrafted furnishings made by artisans for the home and garden—and wraps it all up in exotic travelogue content (think J. Peterman). Inventory is strongest in tables, chairs, rugs, lighting and tabletop goods" (Forbes--click here for full review)

Forbes Selection in Best of the Web Forbes 9-11-00

Forbes Review: "If you’re looking for standard brands—from Harden Furniture to Hatteras Hammocks—you’ll find them here. That is, if you can dig through the cluttered, ad-ridden design. Search by indoor, outdoor, accessories, brand names or a variety of styles from Colonial to Rustic. The ability to shop by room and style can produce some interesting results....An informative e-newsletter keeps you apprised of upcoming auctions and sales" (Forbes--click here for full review)

Forbes Selection in Best of the Web Forbes 9-11-00

Forbes Review: "There’s nothing off-the-rack about these original furniture designs, lovingly handcrafted by a roster of contemporary furniture artisans. The emphasis is on wood, exquisitely shaped, molded and finished. You’ll find classic lines with contemporary twists and plenty of style fusion. ... The Reference area provides useful guides to furniture terms, finishes and wood types from ash to walnut" (Forbes--click here for full review)

Forbes Selection in Best of the Web Forbes 9-11-00

Forbes Review: "Roger Horchow, formerly of the Horchow Collection Catalog, has turned his hand to the Internet with this easy-to-shop site, chock-full of quality mid-priced furniture, rugs, wall coverings and accessories. Check out 45 room views, or shop by room or product in styles like Coastal, Rustic, Classic, Soho or English Country. Look for bargains at The Outlet where many items are half-price. Custom upholstery is available on certain pieces; choose fabrics by price range, pattern and color, then view them on-screen on your desired couch, chair or ottoman" (Forbes--click here for full review)

Forbes Selection in Best of the Web Forbes 9-11-00

Forbes Review: "Offers a collection of original contemporary art including a choice selection of art furniture and lighting. Expect well-crafted, often whimsical stuff with prices from a few hundred dollars to more than $100,000.... Each selection links to the artisan’s bio and pictures of his or her works. You can also have items made to order" (Forbes--click here for full review)

Forbes Selection in Best of the Web Forbes 9-11-00

retromodern.com
www.retromodern.com

EW review: "Austin Powers got you pining for the swinging '60s? Frug over to this happening site to order shagadelic bubble chairs, mushroom stools, and copacabana tables for your pad. Retromodern, which also has a freestanding store in Atlanta, specializes in vintage furniture, and ordering online makes it easy to travel back in time. Buy carefully, though--do you really want your living room to look like the set of Casino Royale? A"

"A" : Entertainment Weekly 11-12-99

Mixed Nuts Kraftables
www.kraftables.com

EW review: "This innovative company, started by two sisters, sells fun and functional furniture you decorate yourself. Tables, chairs, and armoires are all made of laminated, triple-layered cardboard and come precut and ready to assemble. They're perfect for kids' rooms, and the prices are so low you won't mind when your young decorators change their tastes again next month. At $79.95, just try to resist the king-size throne that holds royalty up to 225 pounds. Check out the photo gallery for creative ideas, or simply add one of the easy-to-follow decorating kits to your shopping cart. A"

"A" : Entertainment Weekly 11-12-99

FurniturePoint
www.FurniturePoint.com

EW review: "Why settle for a boring old La-Z-Boy when you can have an Oriental Touch Massage Recliner? FurniturePoint's virtual showrooms offer intriguing variations on the basics, and big savings can be found in Specials, Deals & Closeouts, where prices have been reduced on a variety of name-brand furniture. Once you've found an item you're interested in, click on "Coordinates" for suggestions on other pieces to go with it. You can browse by style or material and create your own wish list. Feel free to wish for a bigger house while you're at it. B+"

"B+" : Entertainment Weekly 11-12-99