Gold Winner Finer Things Antiques and Curios
Silver Winner Urban Cottage Antiques & Collectibles
Bronze Winner Plan B Merchants’ Co-op
With its incredible collection of furnishings and doodads, Finer Things has spent more than a decade helping Haligonians turn good spaces into great ones. But this year, when its Agricola Street lease wasn’t renewed, the store went through its own dramatic transformation. While moving is stressful, “we decided to turn it into a positive experience,” says Jack Craft, who owns Finer Things with his partner Julianne McDonald. Craft and McDonald found a promising location on Quinpool Road, across from Pro Skateboards, and spent a couple months on renovations before moving in at the end of August. Where the old Finer Things was a cluttered labyrinth of small rooms, the new version is a bright and open gallery that quickly proved attractive to both longtime customers and Quinpool browsers. Although the move was exhausting, Craft says, “we’re pretty pleased so far.”