Shop the Bungalow: Friends and Neighbors in Austin, TX - Remodelista
Photography by Leigh Patterson. Visiting Friends & Neighbors is just like hanging out at the home of your coolest... ...best-traveled friend–except that all her stuff is for sale. The Mathews had spent years in the restaurant business–they own the stylist East Austin cafe, Hillside Farmacy–and the three decided to collaborate on a shop. The house’s interior is basically unaltered, and the store is set up in the rooms, each with different types of merchandise. The former living room and dining room display a mix of fashion accessories, housewares, and clothing. Bradshaw has stocked an assortment of new and vintage fashions, offering a range of aesthetics and price points. Traditional ceramics sit next to holographic accessories. It won’t come as a surprise that the kitchen functions as a café. Visitors can order espressos and snacks (like Early Bird Granola) and leaf through the magazine collection. Friends & Neighbors’ café is run by Mercedes Singleton, who used to manage Brooklyn’s famous butcher shop, Marlow and Daughters. The Mathews and Bradshaw kept the kitchen’s vintage fixtures and tile in place. An assortment of food products: Seattle’s Boat Street Pickles ($12), Portland’s Smith Tea ($12), and Brooklyn’s Sweet Deliverance jams and chutneys ($10), in flavors like Strawberry Chamomile Honey and Smoke Tomato Chili. Place-Mathews selects a teapot from the shop’s growing collection. The airy back bedroom has a curtained-off changing area and an armoire full of intimates and loungewear. In the bathroom, look for oil-based perfumes by Portland’s Olo Fragrance, herbal skincare products by Fat and the Moon, and other apothecary items. A triangle cut-out peeking into the bathroom was one of the few architectural changes made. Magazines for sale next to tubes of Place-Mathews’ coveted Pawpaw Ointment. Shelves in the hall closet display vintage linens and textiles. Austin artist Ben Nuhn has pitched a teepee in the Friends & Neighbors backyard. The Mathews with Lupe the dog. Vanessa Traina’s Soho shop, The Apartment, resembles a glam version of Friends & Neighbors.