apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Nicole Dalrymple, a former TV producer for National Geographic and the Discovery Channel, opened Acquire last month in the up-and-coming North End section of Boston. Known for its narrow cobblestone streets and italian charm, the North End of Boston is becoming a hot spot for new stores since the Big Dig gave it more accessibility to the walking public. Nikki's store is a sophisticated, inviting mix of modern and vintage home accessories and gifts. In addition to unique and industrial items, she searches out pieces from independent designers from the UK, Japan and the United States that aren't already represented in Boston. The day we walked in we fell in love with some bead-textured porcelain vases by Lois Aronow, a 1970's Swedish handblown lamp (it had just been sold!) and a stash of original wool swiss army blankets in a warm chocolate brown with a red stripe. We also loved all of her vintage french chairs and couches that were re-upholstered in bold black and white prints.

Aquire has not even been open for a month already and has already acquired quite a following. We loved that her prices are budget-friendly, starting at $4, and that the average price of something in the shop was only $40. The best part was that as admittedly frequent window-shoppers, it was a store we walked into and didn't recognize anything as "I've seen that before".