Maison 24: Bridgehampton and New York, NY

Non-traditional is an understatement at this trendsetting treasure chest.

By Lyndsay McGregor

hen the brother-sister duo of Louis Marra and Allison Julius opened Maison 24 in Bridgehampton, NY, in 2008, the kitschy-cool shop quickly garnered a loyal following, drawing both well-heeled travelers and a crush of famous faces. Three years later, New York City got its own outpost.

Boasting a cherry-picked selection of the siblings’ favorite things, the luxury lifestyle-oriented store specializes in whimsical furniture, art, gifts and accessories. (There’s even a category on the store’s website called “Life’s Un-necessities.”) “We bring in things that we are thrilled to have on our shelves and share with our customers in a really positive way,” Julius says. An eclectic selection of children’s items adds to the store’s wacky charm. Prices range from $1.95 for a pack of Hello Kitty tissues to $100 for a hand-knit Miffy doll to $3,500 for the Nursery Works Lucite crib that caught Beyoncé’s eye. “We get a nice amount of celebrity traffic, which is always fun,” shares Julius, adding that Katy Perry and Jimmy Fallon are regulars.

Spanning Keith Haring magnet sets to Urban Sunday neckties emblazoned with tiny skulls to Brinca Dada’s contemporary dollhouses, the store’s aesthetic caters to customers in search of downtown cool. Julius reveals that Hello Kitty in particular is as popular with parents as it is with her younger clientele. “Adults love the nostalgia and enduring universal symbol of the brand,” she says, noting that the iconic character decorates many surfaces in her own home. “Because if you can’t stand behind what you’re offering to your customers and be excited about it, then what’s the point?” she laughs.