Destination Menlo Park

More than just the epicenter of venture capital and home of Facebook, Menlo Park has become one of the best destinations for furnishings and accessories in the Bay Area.

Over the past year alone, a handful of brilliant boutiques, including HOME, ParkGate Home, Menlo Hardwoods, and Rococo & Taupe, have made serious investments in Menlo Park, banking on the design-savvy customer base that the little town draws.

Of course, the veteran design anchor of the town, Flegel’s, has been catering to high-end customers for 50 years. Owner Mark Flegel carries elegant traditional brands like Stickley, Baker, and Brown & Jordan but always keeps the inventory fresh with different lines, including Jessica Charles and Matsuoka. Next door to Flegel’s, longtime favorite Traditions has closed. But in its place, Eileen Bocci’s Traditionally Derby has sprung to life with a fresh mix of furnishings and accessories— including special finds like works of art by famed designer Dorothy Draper.

After 25 years in the construction business, Keith Quiggins, CID, has opened his elegant kitchen and bath showroom Rococo &Taupe, highlighting the work of his expert team. Next door, George Bazlamit’s Menlo Hardwoods is the first retail venture for this expert craftsman. Bazlamit and his small staff create and build live-edge and solid wood furniture. Across the street, Blair Morgan’s corner shop HOME sparkles with elegant pieces. Morgan hand selects each piece of furniture, lighting, and artwork for his store, and the attention to detail shows. He hosts monthly design seminars as well as featuring guest speakers like Donghia Creative Director Chuck Chewning,who recently discussed the “past, present, and future of wallpaper.”

Stephen Miller has earned a sterling reputation in the design business for his keen eye and expertise when it comes to sourcing the world’s most beautiful rugs.His eponymous gallery contains thousands of pieces, all of which tell a story. Down the street is another go-to resource for fine carpets— Bruce Good’s The Oriental Carpet. Good carries one of the largest selections of traditional and contemporary rugs in the Bay Area and can help customers source specialty rugs. Just across Santa Cruz Avenue on El Camino (next to legendary bookstore Kepler’s) is the glamorous new ParkGate Home, the brainchild of Cathy Ettel and Laura Pohlen. The spacious showroom enables Ettel and Pohlen to showcase the breadth of their considerable design expertise. It’s not unusual to overhear customers walk in to Park Gate Home and say, “I want everything in here.”