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I live near there - lots of great shops in the area. Nova Zembla, around the corner from Abitare on Atlantic Street, is also worth a browse - they have great (although fairly pricey) lamps. Abitare is small, but does have a very nice selection. Every time I've stopped in the people who work there have been very friendly. Plus, you can also stop next door for some terrific coffee and goodies at Taza. :)

I too live nearby. While the store has some very nice things (all of which you can buy elsewhere -- at John Derian for example or ABC Home) the women who run the shop are positively nasty! I once bought a small thing, paid by credit card, and was leaving the shop while looking at my receipt only to notice that I had been overcharged. I turned and said, "oh, I'm not sure this adds up right" and the shopgirl/owner said, "I know, I know, I just realized". She then gave me a credit. But did NOT apologize. It was SO dishonest - she realized that she overcharged me and was perfectly happy to let me just walk out the door!
Please AVOID this shop. It is not worth your time or money. There are plenty of cute shops around - Layla is great, and so is Darr - where you will feel more valued as a customer.

I wonder who makes the table and pendant in the photo and if they are for sale at the shop?

I love the white wine glasses that are displayed on their website.

I also wanted to know where that table is from....it didn't look like it was for sale when I visited. Beautiful store but they're not the warmest people. You're in Brooklyn not Madison Ave - lighten up.

Hi Bridget,
The table legs are from Room & Board in Soho and the top was made for us by a friend who is an industrial designer.
His name is Bernardo Guillermo and his email is info@bernardoguillermo.com.

Joanne

abitare
309 henry street
brooklyn,ny

Dear greenlight,

We had the pendant fixture made at Filaments, 34 West 13 Street, 212.924.3575. Speak with Randy.
They do all kinds of custom lighting & restoration.

Best,
Joanne

abitare

I love this shop! It is an easy place to go to get a gift that someone will really like without having to sort through a ton of stuff. They have great style. I have no idea what some of the other people who wrote are talking about - the women who work there have never been anything but super nice to me and helpful in making choices. No diva attitudes present. I think it is a great addition to the Brooklyn shopping scene.

This is the kind of store that, once you go in, it's hard to leave! And when you do leave, you leave thinking about what a beautiful vibe it has, what a great flow of energy and what amazing objects-- each hand picked with so much care. It's beautiful! I have a long wish list and every time I go in, the list just gets longer and longer. The women that work there have such great personal style and are so sweet and so engaging. They obviously love what they do and care so much about each customer and each home their customers are shopping for-- it's really unlike any other place I've ever shopped in. The bigger Manhattan shops have none of the special charm of abitare and none of the personal touch and care that the girls in abitare show you when you're shopping. And some of the other Brooklyn stores which sell Indian goods at huge mark-ups profit from international artesans doing work and selling their wares far below market value. I've spoken at length with the women in abitare and they both seem committed to fair trade, cottage industry types of businesses, which is such a nice perk in a store that's already so lovely. Definitely worth many a visit! And you can always ask the women in the store for help-- about designing or interior decorating or gifts...they're wonderful! Check out the hand picked selection of letter press notecards and the amazing coffee pitchers-- so classic!

I came into this shop in the early summer to get a wedding gift for my sister. This place is fantastic! I'm yet to find another homewares store in Brooklyn with the same quality of design products. I ended up getting a fabulous kimono for my sister and a hand-blown glass bird for my new brother-in-law. They were both pleased. I would recommend this to anyone with good taste!

This is a lovely shop! From the thoughtful display, to the careful selection of objects, to the welcoming service, I always have a pleasant experience when I visit. The women who run the shop clearly have great, classic style and they are very helpful. You can sense their personal touch in every corner of the shop. They make it so easy to find the right gift for yourself or for someone else for any occasion. The only problem with abitare is that you will want to buy everything!

abitare is such a great addition to the Heights, where so many small businesses have been pushed out by chain stores and banks. This is exactly the kind of store you want to have down the block! And I love that it is a local success story - one of the owners grew up in the neighborhood! The aesthetic here is simple and classic, while modern at the same time. I always find something new, beautiful and surprising when I go in!