On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Category: Furniture Stores [Edit]
Neighborhood: Flatiron23rd St-Broadway (R, W)
23rd St-Park Ave S (6)
Union Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)
Loading...
A home decor mecca located in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, ABC Carpet and Home is simply the most decadent shopping experience that one will experience in the United States.
Multiple floors of furniture, of all different periods and styles, as well as carpet in a chic warehouse setting provide the shopper with home decorating ideas and upper end prices. The first floor is a feat of unique jewelery pieces as well as other unique, one of a kind items.
As a lover of furniture, and if you check out my rating on HD Buttercup (in LA), you will see that I seek out quality merchandise for the home. This is a furniture orgasm. Several floors show case some unique and high quality items. (There is also the ABC carpet across the street).
I love ABC, and if you cannot afford the furniture, because nothing is cheap in that store, you can at least use it for inspiration. Aside from it's luxury furniture, you will find linens as well. So don't be shy to see if you can at least purchase those.
What else I love about ABC is that they carry the Venetian chandeliers from the Venice Glass Factories in Italy. Having been to those factories on several occasions, I can attest to the authenticity of the ones in Manhattan (not to mention the steep price reflects it).
Not only that, there is also a little cafe inside ABC in case you need to be refueled from shopping. I also like the cafe as well.
Again, you will spend a lot of dough-rei-me here, but it is something that will last your whole lifetime.
I come here to peruse and gawk at the prices of the 3rd world country imports at a 300% mark-up!
I come here to peruse and gawk at all the glittering chandeliers starting at upwards of $4000!
I come here to peruse and gawk at all the stationary for $75!
I come here to peruse and gawk at all the pottery that never had any intention to be used!
Basically, I cannot afford anything other than to I come here and peruse and gawk.
Someday. Soon.
Ooooh. I luuuuv this place. It is like a Lydia Mecca/Heaven. Remember that book where the girl gets locked in to the museum and sleeps in George Washington's bed? Well, I would like to pen an homage to that story with one of my own from within these walls.
Sure it is at times overpriced and dusty and even ridiculously dilapidated, but they have some really amazing things in a gorgeous old building that one just cannot find elsewhere as easily. I have purchased many things there from lighting to beds/bedding to rugs, you name it. I used to get all a-flutter when the men would peel back the stacked rugs, revealing another surprise underneath until they found the one I had to have-the one on the bottom!
My particular love is for the Indo-Tibetan items they have and the glassware. I scored an antique wooden/woven low rise chair there that I use as a pet seat which everyone (humans) always comments on. It is fab. See Kiki and the Woo on their Tibetan chair?
My favorite time of the year to go is around the holidays as they do a spectacular display of ornaments and thingies galore. Whoever is in charge of their displays does an amazing job.
There are few places and things that can get me as high as a few hours rummaging among their offerings and taking in the smells of the carpets. I must get another fix ASAP!
I am a huge fan of this place. Visually it's amazing. The visual merchandisers do a great job. I go there for inspiration. I honestly can't afford anything in the joint. But still, it is awesome just to walk around. The down part are the sales people because you are hounded by them once you pick something up. But once you ignore them and/or say you are just looking you are good to be on your way to have a feast for the eyes.
Don't look at the prices, you might just throw up in your mouth a little..but still its great to look at.
If anything, depending on what you are looking for, the flea markets on the weekends are a better deal and if you got a car...just go to another state.
This place is pretty gnar. I was really hesitant to go in, given the name and size of it (which remind me of a mattress warehouse or some other cheap furniture store), but nothing about this place is cheap. Great designers, great quality, and high prices to match (...). I would say that I am the foremost expert that I know when it comes to modern furniture, and so I can safely proclaim that this place has got alot goin for it. While they didn't have the lamp that I was there to find, they did have some other amazing pieces that I have never seen.
I must say though that I was not pleased with the service, and I really didnt like the 6th floor (the rug floor). Maybe I just hate rug salesmen though...
If I had stacks of hundreds on hand to use solely to smudge my eyeliner so it looks just smokey enough, or to wipe dribbling ice cream from my little brother's face or even to throw down on the wet dirty ground in front of me when I don't want to walk through mud and muss up my Manolos, then MAYBE I could even think about spending time in ABC Carpet.
With the financial state of things in my life now - you know, being that I am a middle class working citizen with normal job and regular living expenses - I try to steer clear of this place. When I do venture in here and start fantasizing about the whimsical, magical decor in the NYC apartment I might some day own....I always wind up looking at a price tag and my dreamlike state iinevitably ends with a feeling of melancholy in the pit of my stomach.
So to boil it down. This place is so lovely and amazing. The pieces for sale are detailed with beadwork, gorgeous colors, an ethereal feel and that handmade love. It would be a privilege to shop here and create a fantasy bedroom, but this seems to be a wish that I will have to put on hold until I win some contest offered up by Good Housekeeping magazine or something. On the plus side, you can buy special pretty doorknobs to replace your own and those look sort of affordable.
They also have small books and beaded animals for sale....oh, and you can have brunch in the attached cafe in the back. Those are all good things too =).
SEEN IN: "Sex and the City," Episode 53, "Ghost Town"
Purchased a very nice Mitchell Gold linen chest, and here is what I had to go through to get it.
First, the delivery took almost a month, and I had totally forgotten about the delivery. Then, as it turns out that they had shipped me a floor sample--when I called the store to discuss, they told me to keep the floor sample, as they were giving me $100 off.
Now, I don't know about you, but $100 off of a $2500 item isn't enough for me to settle for a used piece of furniture. So, I told them to ship me a new one at the price I paid. Another few weeks passed, and the new item came. It is beautiful to look at--but not so much to actually use.
The critique should be directed to Mitchell Gold, not ABC, but I must say I was greatly disappointed by the quality of their furniture. The drawers don't slide well or fit well. In fact, I think Ikea furniture my neighbors have is much more functional--and I bet it costs about a tenth of this piece.
All in all, it's a fun store to window shop, but ABC furniture sometimes does weird things.
I like "good" furniture, and I don't mind coughing up $$$ as long as it is solid in design and… Read more »
1 star for the ridiculous prices. 5 stars for the absolute wonderland that is this store.
I like to come here and just waste time, looking at pretty things, imagining that I am some kind of princess of an exotic land and all around me is my domain. Yes, I know, but it's better than actually looking at the prices and then really checking out to la la land.
The thing is, I actually know how much these things cost at their point of origin, so I can't validate even contemplating purchasing something from here. Unless it's a small tchotcke or a teacup.
Still, absolutely one of my favorite places to browse and a great place to get ideas about decorating.
This place kind of feels like a bazaar or a souk. A huge, shiny, pretty, well-decorated, indoor New York/Manhattan one with not-always-pretty price tags, but one nevertheless.
They've got so many really interesting and cool things to peruse and ponder, from jewellery to pillows to furniture to throws, scarves, even some clothing, curtains, coasters, other adornments. Fabrics and textures from glass, mirror, silk, cashmere, taffeta, canvas, metal, woods, and so much more, walking through here a sensory thrill that makes you just want to reach out and touch everything. There are so many beautiful things to tempt you, whispering softly 'take me home' so you can outfit your humble abode with a smorgasbord of textures, colours, cultures and trinkets.
Still, having been to many real souks and bazaars, I just can't justify a lot of the high price tags here. It's a given that it was going to be more expensive than it "has" to be, but I just can't look at certain items and ever swallow the idea of paying that much for them when I know that at home in the Middle East I could get a lot of these Oriental or South Asian inspired textiles and other goodies, or the East Asian and general Chinese things I've seen in Taiwan, Hong Kong or Singapore are just so much cheaper out there than they are here.
Of course, they are special imports here and being that kind of hot commodity will cause a big jump in the price markup. Duh. It's just the sheer amount of how big that jump is that I can't accept, almost like they tacked on: 'import standard ripoff', then 'Manhattan standard price hike' and then some. So in sum, beautiful things, wonderful to walk through, and if you see something you love then by all means take it home and covet it. I know I saw some things I happily would have lugged to my apartment despite my markup qualms.
As long as you don't mind the hefty price tags, this place can be good for you. But personally, while I absolutely would (and did) buy some lovely items here, it's sort of a 'depends on the item' hunt here, and I'd always want to give something the mental once-over first to see if I love it enough to make it worth it, or if I'd kick myself because I know I can get something similar for less elsewhere. Definitely worth a visit though!
This store is my Tiffany's - nothing very bad could happen to you there. Anthropologie wishes very much that it was this store. I like to come here and look at the random pretty things from around the world. Remember those fairy tales that had merchants in them? This store is full of things that I imagine merchants in fairy tales selling - colorful cloth, exotic carvings, elaborate chandeliers....Of course I can't really afford to spend $300 for a small pillow, but I definitely enjoy looking, and imagining that someday, when I am a real person with my own apartment and piles of money, I will shop here and decorate my apartment with things from this store, and then have all my friends over to sit on $300 pillows and have a tea party. also, I've only been to the first floor of this store. further exploration is definitely in order.
Althought I never purchase anything here, it gives me hope that one day I will be able to walk in and simply buy anything I want without so much as thinking about the price tag. Unfortunately, In a world where negative numbers exist, I think I'll stick to West Elm and CB2. Regardless, ABC is still a nice place to come and look. Also, on the first floor, there are a lot of nice boutiques that have great gifts, jewelry, etc.
Only one thing is on my mind when I enter this store: Oooooh shiiiiiiny. My judgment is impaired and I act like someone on LSD. This means I could potentially knock over a beady lamp or geode and empty the adjacent set of clear plastic jars of different sizes on my foot. And that would set me back, say, $2,500 or more.
these 4 stars are for the great mushroom trip I had there. We were supposed to be outside enjoying the shroooms, but it rained so we just wandered around ABC for a few hours and it was surreal
and fun
I hear the prices pretty much rape you, but it's a great visual spot for tripp'n ballz
Man, this place is beautiful
Man, this pace is expensive
I love this place! Its a great place to look at merchandise and then find it on line for a fraction of the 1000% markup price they charge.
Wow! This store is incredible! I can shop here for hours and I am not alone on this! The jewelry selection is stellar- selection of unique small lines by local and national designers and well laid out in cases that scream, "Look at me!" The chandeliers are gorgeous and the decor is sublime! There are two restaurants here and a fabric/ upholstery section downstairs and a children's section upstairs. There is so much more and one must see for her/himself!!!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's got a drool-worthy selection of furniture and house doodads, but ABC Carpet & Home is so overpriced it verges on price gouging. $1,200 for a teeny wood bowl? $4,800 for an old chair with torn-out upholstery? Are you kidding?
You can get this stuff on eBay for a tenth of the price, and you'll still have your dignity (and bank account) intact.
This place is a sensory experience. Cashmere, silk, linen.. oh my. I went through all 5 floors plus the basement in one afternoon. Each vendor takes ownership over merchandising their goods (beige on beige, anyone?) which produces editorial-worthy displays. There were a couple of things I would buy under $100 but in general the furniture prices are high. I kept thinking I needed my private decorator to help me weed through the choices. World class service from the sales staff, never a hint of attitude.
Surprisingly, the hand painted vintage metal beds in the children's section were my favorite. I did go to the carpet floor but allergies from the dust drove me away.
there is no place in the entire city that has as much of my baggage as ABC... (i think - i hope!)
this is where my best friend and i walked down "india" memory lane, the place where i went for last-minute gifts, the corner on the right - i lied to my boss about my breast cancer so i could quit (finally), and the...now desert shop, but previously so much better because of jen... i tasted my first michel hot chocolate.... my many many evenings with luiz (i love you luiz!) fav. bartender in all world who spent all those nights giving us free chocolate and wine while we discussed deep philosophies... here where i took my past and present "important people"...
abc ... *sigh* it's not the same anymore but i love you!!!!
My favorite store in Manhattan. Expensive? You have no idea. This isn't the most expensive store in the world, but it certainly abuses the idea of reasonable pricing. Everything here is too much money, but for me, it's kind of like heroin. Bejeweled, handbeaded Christmas tree ornaments have got to be worth $55, right? Actually--wait until AFTER Christmas, and you can pick them up for five or ten dollars.
Look at everything. I like the chenille throw for $675, the Indonesian wedding bed for $27,000 and the Murano glass chandelier for $7000. When you've had enough fun, go to the outlet in the Bronx or South Hackensack, where I bought most of my furniture, chandeliers and the like for my apartment. They also have a warehouse sale once in a while in NJ which is worth watching the NY Times for. I got a $5000 floor lamp for $300, and about $30K worth of Grange furniture for under $4K.
Party people, shop at the outlet in the South Bronx for the leftovers (= better prices).
ABC Carpet
1055 Bronx River Avenue Bronx, NY 10472
718 842 8772
M-S: 10-7, Sun: 11-6
There aren't many stores that make me want to run out screaming, but this certainly is one of them. I had no idea what I was looking at when I went inside, got completely confused and irritated, and had to leave.
You know that scene from Ducktales with Scrooge McDuck swimming through his huge vault of money? This store is kinda like that, but with housy-thingies.
Run!
Wow. I'm sitting on a couch that costs twice as much as my car is worth. If it's going to cost ten grand, it better take me somewhere.
Fun for browsing, but not very much I could afford. I did buy a four- piece finger puppet set for $25, though: "Axis of Evil III" featuring George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and Condoleeza Rice.
That's worth something right there.
Well, it's like this - the first time you walk into this store you feel like you're transported to a south Asian market (but really it's a resort gift shop): brightly colored silks, exotic aromas, sparkling crystals from antique chandeliers, even an occasional asian obediently trained to bow and smile at you - yeah it's all vaguely cool, but then the elaborate fake romanticism begins to fade as you delve deeper, things feel amiss - you think about what you know about lord Buddha, and Buddhists in general, and you begin to wonder what these pious, simple people would think of a $1200 decorative gem'd out Buddha? or if perhaps there's something fucked in owning a Hindu God Genesh statue (an Elephant) in genuine ivory - karma might kick your ass for that one?
eh, whatever, if you're at ABC and you're actually buying these things you don't care about all that anyway, or that you can get the same stuff outside any airport in India - and stay for a month - for less...
Look, there's no question this store is very well designed, decorated, and managed - it's in Manhattan, wtih Manhattan rents and Manhattan patrons, so it has a place and when people ask me where to go for design ideas this place always comes to mind - but, with that said, as some of the previous reviewers suggested, kinda museum-y, and it makes sense because the store is a gift shop!
Besides, in case you didn't notice, the exotic cushions u find at other stores - those are also made in india...
From out of town to Manhattan, I visited this wonderful place one and truly enjoyed the experience. Being in the marketing and advertising of home furniture, I have to say these guys get it right. Every time, all the time.
From selection to the fabulous Hastens beds to their advertising, I recommend this to anyone already living in NYC or relocating to the world's greatest city. Knowledgable staff and fun people make for a total shopping experience.
Did I just walk into my version of alice in wonderland? I can spend the whole day here without getting bored. They even have a Le Pain Quotidien on the ground floor, which means you don't need to go outside to eat! I've only journeyed so far to the basement and I was like, next time I'm planning my day around this place to see all their floors. It's amazing that just one place can have so much eye candy.
I don't really let myself go inside anymore because there's no way I could afford anything in there. Maybe something small like a candle and then Ryan would be wondering why I spent his entire pay check on a candle and we would have to eat cat food for a while. So, no... no ABC for me and it's hard. I drool as I pass the gorgeous window displays. The colorful fabrics call to me. Somehow, I resist.
What definitely makes it easier for me is the wonders of Craig's List. What's wrong with second hand? This is how bad my ABC obsession is... I would rather spend $250 on an ABC sleeper (originally $2000) that is a little scratched up than buy something new(er) from Ikea. The couch is gorgeous, though. Also, I have a queen bed frame originally from ABC. Their furniture really is high quality... even though these things have been used by someone, they're still just as good as new... to me, at least.
you'd never guessed ABC Carpet and Home is sometimes used as event space too.
i was here for the launch party of a hair product line by Kate Hudson. since the brand focuses on eco-philanthropy, it made ABC Home quite an appropriate choice. lovely space. furniture was mostly organically shaped and organically laid out, lots of nature, warm lighting, high ceilings, sky in a jungle.
then i heard after kate and i were introduced she was going around broadcasting "it was great to meet MEOOOW."
more like 100 times vice versa.
I agree, the average human must treat this place like a museum.
It is a great place to come wonder after brunch near Union Square or Chelsea. Just be careful not to knock something over on the first floor because it probably costs $300. The furniture is great fun to look at and the staff is always extremely nice. It is really a great design experience.
I really enjoyed this store. Yes, as in every other review, it's true - it's expensive. But the store itself is an experience, reminding me of the lovely fun treasures you find in the Anthropologie home section. I really appreciated the amazing jewelry section that I was not at all expecting; all the pieces were really interesting and on trend - no old lady stuff here. And while they weren't cheap enough to buy on impulse, I could afford to buy something nice if I thought about it beforehand (even on my nonprofit salary). I also appreciated the section of eco-minded goods currently on display. Very intriguing store and insanely stimulating visually.
Incredible home store.
I LOVE ABC - I have been coming here for years - I just love to kill the better part of a day by walking through the whole place - especially the floor with the area rugs - droooool.
My aunt took me here a long time ago when we were out running some errands - she knew my GF and I were looking for some area rugs for the house and she taught me all she knew about area rugs ( and she knew a lot). I returned with said GF a few days later and we were both hooked by the place.
Not a year goes by where I do not make some sort of excuse to go there if only to browse.
The place to shop for the home - but kind of pricey.
The first floor alone gives me gasms.
Why? Why? Why can't I have a trust fund?
{sigh}
ABC Carpet & Home is a bittersweet thing for me. When I first moved to NYC, friends told me "you are going to die when you see this place! It's like heaven...", etc, etc. So, I went. I was SO EXCITED! And then SO LET DOWN once a started looking closely at everything. It's like some kind of bazaar where everything is over $50. Even some random candlestick with shiny beads on it. Over $50.
Do not get me wrong. I am more than willing to spend money. I love to spend money in fact.
I do want to give kudos, though, to the shop windows. To the super talented people are who do the windows: your great! The windows are always thorough and beautiful, with great attention to detail; well worth making a special trip to check out.
And the general merchandising of the shop is fab. I guess my expectations were out of control, and I was expecting something a bit more in my price range.
This is the type of place where you go when you dream about being rich and want to play the game...if i had a million dollars to decorate my home i would...
I love to get lost in the store. It's like a sensory overload amusement park. It's so bad that my boyfriend won't walk on broadway near there anymore for fear of being dragged in for hour-long marathons of "oh my goodness! isn't that the cutest thing ever? we haaave to get one of those."
My boyfriend and I just purchased a patchwork cowhide rug from ABC carpet. The quality of the rug is truly fantastic, I've looked online for something similar and this looked to be the best quality. Another plus is that you can take the carpet home, try it out for 7 days and return it for a full refund if it doesn't work. We actually initially purchased a white cowhide rug but when we took it home we realized it didn't work at all in our space. The white had silver undertones, which made it look really cold. So we took it back the next day and exchanged it for a caramel colored rug.
The only beef I really had with the place were the pushy sales people and all the price negotiation. I mean why the heck to they have to be so shady? Why did she have to go to the back and "see what she could do" for the price? I don't get it.
But the rug looks really really good! I would definitely buy my next rug at ABC.
Give me a break!!!!
Sure the stuff they have is nice - if a bit too over the top for me from a design perspective. They do have a comprehensive selection - if you want your home to look like Louis XIV. But the prices are in ORBIT - a rug should not cost as much as a used car. The staff is motivated, but more by commissions than anything else.
Take your cash and get so much more for it somewhere else. Anywhere else.
a mishmash of cultural pieces, environmentally aware, gaudy jewelery, hipster dishes with bird shillouettes, books, my god- what kind of store is this again? It was expensive, some very nice things, many things I wouldn't touch with a hundred foot pole and surely can't afford. The economic crisis and ABC carpet and home do not go hand in hand- nor does ABC and my salary, but I didn't come in here to shop- simply to look and be visually overwhelmed.
Personally, I could never afford a thing in this place, but it's oh so pretty to look at!
The organization I work for ended up purchasing a rug from their discount clearance section in the contemporary store across the street and they were very helpful and accomodating. We chose a rug in a siz they didn't carry in the store and they ordered it from Floriday and had it there to pick up 2 days later. It was great.
The selection is amazing and if you're looking for a rug there's no way you won't find what you're looking for here. It is pricy though, so be prepared...
Yes.. it's expensive...
But you can... as I've done... buy the fabric from them... go to a tailor/seamstress and have your bedding done for a fraction. Make sure you bring your camera so you can show whoever's making what you want... what it should look like when it is completed.
Also... Chicama closed.... they had the best cerviche....that was sad... but it's still a fun store.
Floor Model Sale
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
FREE Shipping On Gifts
Neighborhood: SoHo
Neighborhood: SoHo
Category: Furniture Stores
Neighborhood: SoHo
Category: Furniture Stores
Neighborhood: SoHo
Category: Home Decor
Neighborhood: SoHo
Category: Furniture Stores
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Furniture Stores
Venues highlighted in a "Sex and the City" episode…
There are reasons why I've never moved out of NYC.…
Or: Why My Credit Card Balances Never Seem to Go…
Finding cute and affordable home goods in NYC is…
From everyday items like dishwashing soap to big…
Various things I found in my first manhattan…
In honor of one-of-a-kind institutions that make…
Why can't I have a trust fund? *A list inspired by…
