The narrow store on 14th Street sells home goods for just about every room in the house, with emphasis on the kitchen and bath, along with some personal care items. The merch varies from sleek and sexy—lots of brushed silver and black—to just plain goofy. Need a set of stainless steel pots and pans? Got it. Need a Santoku knife? Check. What about a cheese grater in the shape of a mouse? A set of goggles for chopping onions? A rubber duckie that glows? Got it all. It’s the kind of place that you can’t go into without coming out carrying a shopping bag. When I stopped by for research purposes only, I came out with a muddler and a squirt bottle. Who needs a squirt bottle? But at least with this Home Rule, you can have a say in where your money goes.

—Kim Gooden