A Review of Museum Stores
Category: Interior Design
Art museums can be a great source of inspiration but their museum shops are usually good for nothing other than small gifts like books and posters. A lot has changed, major museums have realized that their collections can translate into beautiful and unique items for fashion and home decorating. We’ve put together a list of some of the better online shops out there.
The Museum of Modern Art in New York is probably the best modern art museum in the world and has hands-down the best online shop. Their inventory is the most well rounded and they carry everything from furniture to handbags. They seem the most committed to developing their brand and the MoMA Store carries lots of unique items for the home and office as well as many home and fashion accessories.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s store is one of the better ones out there for home decor. It’s inventory is smaller and more conservative than the MoMA’s, but it is still a good option for interesting home accessories.
The Tate Online Shop covers 4 British museums: Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool, Tate St. Ives. Their shop rivals the MoMA shop in uniqueness and breadth of items. Most of their items are small however, and the most useful items to a designer would be their art supplies and small sculptures.
Cooper-Hewitt, National Museum of Design
While not exactly a museum shop, this online shop of the Gaudi & Barcelona Club is a great source of unique and artsy items. Based on the work of the great Spanish Architect, Antoni Gaudi, the online shop carries everything from furniture and door knobs to scarves and salt & pepper shakers. They also take corporate orders for larger quantities.
Other Worthwhile Shops
Whitney Museum of American Art Store - carries gifts, posters, books, and home accessories.
Guggenheim Museum Store – carries fashion items, posters, and books.
Rijksmuseum Shop – Dutch art museum with a nice inventory that includes ceramics and home accessories.
La Réunion des musées nationaux – French art museum that carries lots of home and fashion accessories as well as books and gifts.
Art Institute of Chicago Museum Shop – They have a large collection of home accessories including lamps, storage, pillows, glassware, and desk accessories.
Boston Museum of Fine Arts Shop – Home decor items include mainly sculptures, tiles, and ornaments.
