Our Favorite Shops in Baltimore

1407 Fleet St . , 410-276-1180, http://www.bluehouselife.com.

A second location in Towson is scheduled to open this fall.

Nouveau Contemporary Goods

"A dash of color. A pinch of swank. A sprinkle of funk." Those are the words owners Lee Whitehead and Steve Appel use on their Web site to describe their take on interiors. With that in mind, a stroll through their store does not disappoint. Wall-to-wall leopard carpeting sits beneath an unusual and colorful collection of goods, including a pair of high-back, red leather, tufted chairs ($3,665 each); a white vinyl split-back sofa with chrome legs ($1,050); and six-foot "urchin sculptures" ($498 each) that greet you as you walk through the door.

Located in Towson, a 10-minute drive north of Baltimore, Nouveau resides in Belvedere Square, a charming neighborhood hub for retail shopping and restaurants. (There's even a Friday night concert series during the summer.) Although the shop's stock of upholstery, lighting, artwork and storage pieces is mostly contemporary, you'll also find a nice mix of more-classic shapes, the occasional Regency, mid-century and Asian-inspired pieces, and an in-house design center.

Another draw: instant gratification. Purchases can be taken right off the floor or scheduled for a quick delivery, sometimes the same day.

514 E. Belvedere Ave., Towson, 410-962-8248, http://www.nouveaubaltimore.com.

The House Downtown

If contemporary isn't your thing, a few doors down is the House Downtown. This shop overflows cottage-y comfort with its slipcovered club chairs, painted furniture, piles of pillows and Dash & Albert's colorful, affordable cotton rugs (from $28 for a 2-by-3-foot piece to $385 for a 9-by-12).

But it's not all cottage living at this sophisticated shop, where the look is more chic than shabby, more urban than country. Mingled among the antique pieces, the pastel Pine Cone Hill linens and the white tin-tiled headboards are sleek, apartment-style sofas and black chairs upholstered in zebra ikat fabric with a pewter nail-head trim ($1,059 each). A recent store redesign introduced a high-end line of custom furnishings and an in-house interior design service.

The mix of styles (beachy, vintage, traditional and urban) and prices (retail and custom) make the merchandise as appealing as the atmosphere. "That's our motto," owner Stephanie Gamble says: "So comfortable, you may never want to leave."

524 E. Belvedere Ave . , Towson, 410-464-1440, http://www.thehousedowntown.com.

Red Tree

You know those stores you walk into and, before you've taken a second step inside, you know you're going to buy something? Red Tree is one of those stores.

A 10-minute drive from downtown Baltimore in the Hampden neighborhood, this cool and quirky shop sits in the middle of a four-block stretch of retailers and restaurants locally referred to as "The Avenue." (Note: If you're in the Baltimore vicinity, include this main street on your itinerary.)