City Foundry

Profile

When Sohrab Bakhshi opened City Foundry in 2000, it was one of the first furniture and lighting establishments on the block; now, this Boerum Hill strip of Atlantic Avenue is lined with home-design stores. Although City Foundry’s crowded interior and narrow aisles may appear chaotic, its collection is impeccably curated by Bakhshi, who studied design in his native Iran. He sources most of the items from estate sales and will gladly hunt for customer requests. The shop is divided into four distinct areas: The front holds industrial antiques, machinery, and curiosities; the back room offers mid-century modern furniture; the middle hosts a mélange of smaller goods; and the backyard has garden items and vintage metal. The selection encompasses collectible side tables by T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Danish modern stools and chairs, and Bakhshi's signature line of lighting from industrial found objects. Popular with set designers and interior decorators, City Foundry has furnished Ralph Lauren stores in Japan, Israel, and New York, and is credited for the scientific cabinets, instruments, and furniture for the movie Kinsey. A block and a half away is City Foundry Annex, with a smaller, more organized array of higher-end goods. — Caroline Kinneberg