Titus & Louise Design

I’ve found some great gifts here (full disclosure: some of them were for myself) and Titus and Louise is well on its way to becoming my go-​to place for hostess gifts. There is such a lot of merchandise displayed that it’s sometimes hard to «see the forest for the trees» but it’s worth taking your time because there are some wonderful things in there, hidden in plain sight among the tea towels printed with the kind of wisecracks that appeal to women in their prime. Okay, some of them were quite funny. Surprisingly good quality clothing items, but not much room to examine them. The owner also stocks good quality bath products. There is a Patchouli-​and –something-​or-​other bath gel that kept me sane during the reno from hell. At $ 30, it is way cheaper than therapy and you only need a thimble-​full in your bath for a glorious soak. There is also a sister (brother?) shop next door, called Vienna Douglas, that sells things like bathroom fixtures — good quality ones, too. Their stuff is more expensive than therapy but probably lasts longer. All in all, a nice destination, at the corner of Dupont and Christie.

The goods in this store appear to be targeted towards a pretty specific demographic: that would be, maybe about 2 steps ahead of mine. Therefore, I did not find a lot I had much use for (yet), but was intrigued by the possibility of in my future of possessing things like guest soaps shaped like robins’ eggs (or, really, guest soaps at all)!!!
It reminded me a lot of the kind of shops I saw all over Cape Cod, with the charmingly cluttered and knick-​knacky set-​up and slightly more upper-​class aesthetic and price-​range. The sight of a bagged garment called «Saress» (the spawn of a sarong and dress, presumably) labeled «the ultimate beach dress» confirmed my initial gut reaction. The oppressive darkness coming from outside and the matching bitter draft were an interesting contradiction to such a sunny association.
For anyone who is old enough to own their own house (preferably one with extra rooms) or who is old enough to at least claim to be having a «Senior Moment» (the subject of a novelty book on its shelf), find them a lovely and/​or amusing gift right here. And this twenty-​something will take some of those robin’s egg soaps any day.