Shop Girl
Material Culture
Traveling the world is one of my favorite pastimes; as a result, I’m always drawn to culturally diverse furniture, rugs, and home accent pieces. They remind me of far away lands, some that I’ve seen and some I wish to visit. Tucked away in an offbeat section of the city, the journey within Material Culture begins before even stepping foot into the huge 2-story warehouse. Various pottery pieces, flowers and a wooden canoe trickle out of the doorway as if to lead the way. I even got a warm welcome from the resident pooch, Smokey.
Once indoors, there is so much to see and experience. Jazz is playing in the background, colorful Indian Saris drape the interior, and the slight smell of incense fills the air. There are a large number of furniture pieces displayed throughout, many armoires, tables, and shelves that you can browse through in the vast open space. You’ll stumble upon unique pottery, artistic pieces and architectural items from beginning to end. The staff is always friendly and helpful in answering any questions about the objects, how they’re made and where they come from. Material Culture offers a limitless selection of handmade rugs displayed in the spacious sun-filled area on the 2nd floor, along with a large section of varied clearance items.
The only thing missing is more petite items and accent pieces. They sometimes have jewelry or small goods, but choice is limited at times.
If you don’t have your next trip planned, but need to get away, visit Material Culture, and maybe even pick up a unique object to beautify your space.
Material Culture
4700 Wissahickon Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19144
215.849.8030
