Best Antique/Vintage Store
SOUTH CHARLESTON ANTIQUE MALL
Clear your schedule if you’re headed to this shop, located just behind the Mound in South Charleston. The South Charleston Antique Mall boasts 18,000 square feet of showroom space filled with wares from dozens of dealers.
You’ll find furniture, glassware, vintage jewelry, antique coins, paper collectibles like books and postcards, stoneware, antique tools, vinyl records, retro toys, primitives, and just about everything else you can imagine. Don’t be surprised if it takes more than one visit to see it all. 617 D Street, South Charleston 304.744.8975, southcharlestonantique.com, “South Charleston Antique Mall” on Facebook
Best Local Furniture Store
PUGH FURNITURE
Celebrating is 100th anniversary in 2017, this Charleston business was founded by traveling salesman Harry R. Pugh. Today Pugh offers pieces for every room of your home, from the dining room and home office to the bedroom. There’s a full selection of children’s furniture, and Pugh also has teamed up with Amish craftsman to offer a wide selection of hand-crafted furniture. Need something specific? These artisans also do custom pieces. 1320 Smith Street, Charleston, 304.344.2421, pughfurniture.net, @pughfurniture on Facebook
THE PURPLE MOON
If mid-century modern is your thing, this shrine to 20th Century design will be your new favorite shop. Owners Chuck and Connie Hamsher only carry the finest mod furnishings in their Virginia Street shop, which also features an art gallery and glassware from Blenko and other mid-century makers. 906-08 Quarrier Street Charleston, 304.345.0123, thepurplemoon.com, @thepurplemoon on Facebook
CHUCK’S FURNITURE
This Morgantown business has been providing quality furnishings for more than 40 years. Come see its extensive line of Gat Creek furniture, made in West Virginia by West Virginia artisans using West Virginia hardwoods. 77 Lawless Road, Morgantown, 304.292.7621, chucksfurniture.com, @chucksfurniturewvu on Facebook
Best Bookstore
TAYLOR BOOKS
Whether you’re looking for a good read, a cup of coffee, or a little quiet time surrounded by local art, Taylor Books is the place to be. Shelves of books and magazines line the walls and paintings and pottery fill the gallery next door. There’s live music every Friday and Saturday night, and now a micro-theater in the basement. 226 Capitol Street, Charleston, 304.342.1461, taylorbooks.com, @taybooks on Facebook
Best Art Gallery
ART EMPORIUM
In addition to its glass art, jewelry, metal art, pottery, and sculpture, this downtown Charleston shop has a 2,000-square-foot gallery featuring monthly exhibitions by artists from West Virginia and beyond. If you decide to take something home, talk to the folks at Art Emporium’s custom frame shop, who will ensure your art investment receives museum-quality treatment. 823 Quarrier Street, Charleston, 304.345.2787, artemporium.net, @artemporiumwv on Facebook
Best Independent Jewelry Store
CALVIN BROYLES
Founded in 1947, Calvin Broyles is the state’s only third-generation, family-owned jewelry business. Now with locations in South Charleston, Teays Valley, and Beckley, the company has provided generations of customers with engagement rings, wedding bands, elegant watches, and fine jewelry. Check out its popular line of Heart in WV necklaces and bracelets featuring the metal and stone of your choice. It’s an indulgence you can feel good about—15 percent of proceeds from the jewelry line is donated to a college scholarship for a West Virginia student. 4708 MacCorkle Avenue Southwest, South Charleston, 304.768.8821; 4144 State Route 34, Hurricane, 304.757.3920; 1032 North Eisenhower Drive, Beckley, 304.252.7701; calvinbroyles.com, @broylesjewelry on Facebook
Runners-Up
JACQUELINE’S FINE JEWELRY
Morgantown’s only locally owned fine jewelry and diamond dealer. 1070 Suncrest Towne Centre Drive, Morgantown, 304.599.6981, jacquelinesfinejewelry.com, @jacquelineswv on Facebook
C.F. REUSCHLEIN JEWELERS, INC.
From diamonds to Rolex watches, this Huntington jeweler is all about
the finer things in life. 947 Third Avenue, Huntington 304.697.7710, cfrjewelers.com, @cfrjewelers on Facebook
Best Home Furnishings
WELLS HOME FURNISHINGS
Wells Home Furnishings doesn’t do semi-annual, bi-monthly, end-of-the-season blowout sales. Why? Because this family-owned business offers shoppers the best price every single day.
When they say “best price,” they mean it. Wells promises you won’t find a lower price in any brick-and-mortar or online store—their pieces are marked 10 to 20 percent lower than Amazon, Hayneedle, Overstock, Perigold, and Wayfair, guaranteed.
The family has been in the furniture business for nine decades and five generations, but John Wells Jr. and John Wells III started Wells Home Furnishings in 1994 to provide Charleston with a better way to buy furniture. The company opened a second showroom in Morgantown in the spring of 2015.
The stores offer quality furnishings for every room of your home, much of it manufactured in the United States by companies like Wesley Hall, CR Laine, Fairfield, and Huntington House. Wells also carries several lines of furniture handcrafted by Amish artisans.
Need custom window treatments or a custom piece of furniture? Wells has you covered there, too. The company also employs a full staff of interior designers and even offers a virtual reality design service that allows customers to see how a piece will work in a digitally recreated room before taking it home.
Wells’ commitment to its customers extends beyond the showroom walls, too. The company is involved in many community groups, including the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association, the Mountain Mission, and the United Way. And as a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, the company strives to operate in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way. 101 Bowers Road, Charleston 304.343.3600; 1040 Fairmont Road Westover, 304.322.2129; wellshome.com, “Wells Home Furnishings” on Facebook
Best Unique Boutique
THE VINTAGE LADY
Opened in 2004, this Harpers Ferry boutique is filled with unique gifts sure to please anyone on your list. There’s handmade jewelry by owner Cindi Dunn as well as prints, ornaments, and mugs featuring her photography. You’ll also find West Virginia-made pottery, hand-carved coal sculptures, and glass products from Blenko Glass Company and Appalachia Glass as well as specialty food items, beer, wine, and hard cider. The shop was destroyed in 2015 by a devastating fire that damaged much of Harpers Ferry’s historic district, but Dunn reopened just six weeks later—bigger and better than ever. 180 High Street, Harpers Ferry 304.535.1313, thevintagelady.net, @vintageladyharpersferry on Facebook
Runners-Up
WOLF CREEK GALLERY
Find a unique selection of women’s clothing, shoes, jewelry, gifts, and more at this Lewisburg boutique. 967 Washington Street West, Lewisburg, 304.645.5270, wolfcreeklewisburg.com, @downtownlewisburgwv on Facebook
EGGPLANT
Make your gift even more special with personalization and monogramming services at this Charleston shop. 1011 Bridge Road A, Charleston, 304.346.3525, eggplantshop.com, @eggplantshop on Facebook
Best Local Place to Buy Men’s Apparel
DANIEL’S OF MORGANTOWN
Need a tux for a wedding? Or a new suit for the office? Daniel’s has been making men look sharp for more than 50 years. 2908 University Avenue Morgantown, 304.296.7202, danielsofmorgantown.com, @danielsofmorgantown on Facebook
Runners-Up
CHARLESTON DEPARTMENT STORE
This longtime family favorite can meet all your casual workwear needs, and be sure to check out the huge selection of WVU gear. 1661 Washington Street West Charleston, 304.346.6793, @charlestondepartmentstore on Facebook
TONY THE TAILOR
Whether you’re looking for luxury denim, fine leather shoes, or a bespoke suit, Tony has you covered. Literally. 822 Virginia Street East, Charleston 304.833.9403, @tonythetailorwv on Facebook
Best Local Place to Buy Women’s Apparel
BIRDS OF A FEATHER BOUTIQUE
It began as a part-time hobby for friends Whitney Epling and Lindsey Ellis—they wanted a small business that could provide trendy but affordable clothing and started selling their wares through social media. When that took off, they began hosting in-home parties. Then, in 2013, the business moved into a space in Huntington’s Heritage Station. Though the business continues to grow, Birds of a Feather’s mission remains the same: cool clothes for reasonable prices. 210 11th Street Shop #5, Huntington, 681.204.3731, boafboutique.com, @birds.boutique12 on Facebook
Best Local Place to Buy WV-Made Products
TAMARACK
Tamarack was the first of its kind, as the nation’s first state-run artisan center and gallery. With beautifully landscaped grounds and that iconic red roof, it still lures passing drivers off Interstate 64 to check it out for themselves.
The center sells more West Virginia-made products than anywhere else in the state with an inventory ranging from jewelry and pottery to musical instruments and homemade specialty food items. Visitors can also peek into the studios of Tamarack’s resident artisans to watch them work. One Tamarack Park, Beckley, 304.256.6843, tamarackwv.com, @tamarackwv on Facebook
Runners-Up
WV MARKETPLACE, CAPITOL MARKET
Here’s a one-stop shop for all your West Virginia needs: salsa, jam, jelly, pickles, books and magazines, postcards, cutting boards, pottery, hand-blown glass, and even dog treats. 800 Smith Street, Charleston 304.720.2244, @wvmarketplace on Facebook
KIN SHIP GOODS
Quirky t-shirts, sweaters, and gifts you won’t find anywhere else. 613 Tennessee Avenue Charleston, 304.346.0326, kinshipgoods.com, @kinshipgoods on Facebook
Best Florist
GILLESPIE’S FLOWERS AND PRODUCTIONS
Gillespie’s Flowers and Productions has been creating floral arrangements since 1923 for clients all over the region. With a storefront at The Greenbrier and one on Main Street in White Sulphur Springs, it offers not only floral design but also event planning and design, graphic and sign design, and rentals—from tents and china to farm tables and fire pits. They are also experts at theatrical lighting and can craft exhibit trade shows and theme parties that will knock your socks off. They source products from local growers and even fly flowers in from around the world. With the fourth generation stepping into management positions, 20 full-time employees and 10 part-time employees, the business is equipped with a 10-truck fleet as well as 19,000 square feet in warehouse space and is situated to continue delivering the finest products and service for many centuries to come. 377 West Main Street West, White Sulphur Springs, 304.536.1881, gillespiesflowers.com
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