Best of the New: Stores
Arclinea
Many city dwellings have closets bigger than their kitchens. Fortunately, salvation is just around the corner, and we're not talking great takeout. Arclinea, which opened in Boston last February, is more a problem solver than a store. Staffed by architects and architects-in-training, this kitchen showroom features the most ingenious use of space since the skyscraper. Baseboards become drawers. Cabinet doors slide instead of pulling out. And every component is sleek and functional, custom-made in Italy. You control the final design and cost, choosing from 13 pricing levels of materials. Now you're cooking. 10 St. James Avenue, Boston, 617-357-9777; www.arclineaboston.com
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Cross
We're not usually excited by a roomful of pens, but our pulses started racing when we crossed the threshold at Cross's minimally designed Harvard Square shop. Opened in April as the company's first US retail showroom, the store was followed by a Chestnut Hill location in November. The stores offer a variety of pen styles, from fancy to practical, at a range of prices, some as high as $835 (gulp). There are also irresistible satchels to carry them in, as well as folders and stylish desk accessories, many made by Cross. Zero Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617-868 7020; The Mall at Chestnut Hill, 617 527-0530; www.cross.com
Exhale
The spa elevator reads "transform" for up and "transcend" for down, and so begins your Zen experience at Exhale, in Back Bay since December. Fresh as a deep breath and equally restorative, this in-town destination spa is a real urban retreat, with Indonesian carved doors, bamboo motifs, soft, earthy tones, and a heated yoga studio. Its signature Core Fusion class combines elements of Pilates, yoga, and orthopedic stretching, and it will set your muscles quivering like Jell-O but leave you ultimately happy. 28 Arlington Street, Boston, 617-532-7000; www.exhalespa.com
Howie Mack
Serious devotees of high-quality resale know there's traditionally a gap between the kids' outlets and adult designer consignment stores. If you're in your teens or early 20s, your fashionable secondhand options have been next to nil. Until now. Since September, Howie Mack has offered used brand-name urban wear, from
The Container Store
Neatniks and clutter bugs alike have found nirvana at The Container Store. Claiming to sell time and peace of mind, the store, which debuted in Chestnut Hill in November and comes to Natick next month, aims to sweep the city and purge our clutter. Even the store itself is well organized, arranged in sections like Closet, Kitchen, and Trash. Stick with one section at a time to avoid being overwhelmed: This new-to-New England chain offers 27,000 square feet filled with more than 10,000 products. Want high end? The store offers elfa shelving, an elite modular system that can customize any closet. For the budget-conscious, both design and quality are available in "better," "best," and "exceptional." 27 Boylston Street (Route 9), Chestnut Hill, 617 566-7400; www.containerstore.com Continued...
