British Antiques Store Survives Pandemic, Earns National Honor
GEORGETOWN, D.C. — Local residents Daphna Peled and her mother Judith, owners of Pillar & Post, recently were honored by House Beautiful after being named one of the best home stores in America. Peled described the new title as "incredibly exciting."
"I’ve long been an avid reader and admirer of the magazine, and to be recognized by such a prominent voice in the home décor community is a wonderful honor. Also, I hope it raises the visibility of the shop and of Georgetown, which is such a terrific design destination," Peled told Patch.
This charming British antiques store, located in the Book Hill section, features British antique furniture and decor, along with modern home accessories including barware, linens, ceramics and home fragrances from leading British brands.
"In addition, we curate a collection of art, including paintings by contemporary British artists, antique prints and engravings. To complement our mix of old and new furnishings, we offer modern American light fixtures," Peled said.
Peled's mom and her husband lived in London for many years and when she visited them, she would bring back British home furnishings and accessories to her Georgetown home. When Judith and her husband moved to Georgetown, Peled left her career in politics to open the shop with her mother. They travel to England periodically on buying trips in order to personally select the items they sell.
"One of my favorite parts of the business is going to England for my buying trips. Obviously that has been curtailed because of the pandemic, but I hope to go there this summer and I was still able to get a shipment in recently, so I have wonderful stock in the shop. I also love curating my antique pieces with more modern décor to make antiques appealing and interesting to people who may view antiques as outdated," Peled said.
Her customers are a mix of local residents who love the shop and pop by regularly. She also welcomes quite a few out-of-town buyers who become loyal customers, since Pillar & Post ships. Peled's customers are the backbone of the business, which has survived the coronavirus pandemic so far.
"It was of course difficult to be closed for a few months, but I had started e-commerce over the summer after being featured in Better Homes & Gardens and that has been very helpful during the pandemic. Also, recently people seem really in the mood to shop and buy gifts for the holidays, and with the shop a destination that tends to be less crowded, it is a nice safe place for holiday shopping for unique gifts," she said.
This article originally appeared on the Georgetown Patch
