By Christine M. Liu, Contributor, decor8

My parents live in Maryland, and during a chilly February last year my boyfriend and I went down for a visit and spent one afternoon shopping in Washington, DC. There are plenty of lovely stores (and sushi restaurants, not to mention embassies) around dupont circle, one of which is Tabletop.
We stumbled in by accident, this utter gem of a boutique stocking everything from Angela Adams leather handbags to Lotta Jansdotter ceramics to Alan Stuart pu-felt pouches (which I happily bought three). The store is just luminous, a split-level space with a resident fluffy dog and a cozy atmosphere. Tabletop features a healthy mix of American, European, and Asian styles, as well as projects by collaborative design teams. The pieces are clean, colorful, and distinctive. Shopping is pure pleasure. If you're in DC, it's a must-go!

However, lucky for the rest of the population, they have an online store, where you can find strikingly unique pieces such as Salvor animal pillows (a menagerie!), Klein Reid vases, jewelry from designer Daphne Olive, Ply Design bags, coffee sets by Panek Tobin, Mibo lighting, ASA Selection ceramics, and books on modern design.

When I was there, I got the afore-mentioned Alan Stuart bags as well as a wallet by J.Fold (which still turns heads when I take it out), and my boyfriend secretly got a silver lasercut Tord Boontje card which ended up becoming my valentine!

(all photos from the tabletop website)