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A House Beautiful report has named five U.S. destinations designers recommend for sourcing distinctive antiques, art, textiles and architectural inspiration: Portland, Atlanta, Santa Fe, New Orleans and Nashville. The recommendations come from designers’ experience and preferences, not from a formal ranking or measurement of visitor numbers.
House Beautiful has highlighted five U.S. design destinations that designers say merit more attention from travelers seeking antiques, art, textiles and distinctive architecture. The guide features Portland, Maine; Atlanta; Santa Fe; New Orleans; and Nashville, with recommendations drawn from designers’ personal sourcing experience rather than a formal ranking.
The designers describe destinations with different strengths. In Portland, Maine, Jennifer Hunter points to early American maritime memorabilia and folk art, linking the city’s coastal history with its nature-focused character. In Atlanta, Laura Jenkins says visitors often overlook the city’s vintage and antiques market. She recommends Westside Modern for mid-century pieces, Scott Antique Market for browsing, and Peachtree Battle Antiques for finds selected by her team.
Santa Fe stands out to designer Jessica Alpert for vintage pieces, textiles, pottery, art and Native American works. She says the variety can help create interiors that feel collected rather than overly designed. In New Orleans, Sarah Stacey recommends looking beyond food and music to architecture, boutique hotels, antiques and contemporary art. Her suggested stops include Consign Consign and Ferrara Showman Gallery; Fireside Antiques is in Baton Rouge, a day trip from the city.
Nashville and nearby communities offer several different sourcing areas, according to Jenkins, who grew up in the region. Her recommendations include Copper Fox Gallery in Leiper’s Fork for art, Schumacher Design Shop and appointment-only Eneby Home in Nashville, and Gallery 2o2 and White’s Mercantile in historic Franklin. The guide presents these as personal recommendations, not a complete directory of local shops.
Five Distinct Routes for Design Finds
The guide gives travelers a practical way to match a destination to the kind of objects or inspiration they are seeking. Atlanta and Nashville are presented as options for antiques and vintage sourcing, while Santa Fe is associated with textiles, pottery and Native American works. Portland offers maritime and folk art, and New Orleans combines retail with a range of architectural styles.
That variety matters to readers planning a trip around design rather than relying only on a city’s best-known attractions. The recommendations also point to differences between shopping areas: some stops are in nearby towns, one New Orleans recommendation is in Baton Rouge, and Eneby Home requires an appointment. Travelers may need to plan around location and access, not just a city name.
The article’s value is also limited in a useful way: it provides expert perspectives and named stops, but it does not compare prices, verify current inventory or claim that these are the country’s most overlooked design destinations. Readers can treat it as a starting point for further trip planning.
vintage American maritime folk art
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Design Beyond the Best-Known Sights
The source is a House Beautiful guide titled “5 Under-the-Radar Design Destinations in the U.S. That Designers Love.” It gathers recommendations from designers with personal ties or sourcing experience in the featured places. The piece is about design travel and shopping, not a tourism survey, city ranking or announcement of a new design initiative.
Its framing contrasts each destination’s familiar public image with the designers’ preferred angle. New Orleans is often associated with restaurants and music, while Nashville is strongly associated with music; the designers argue that both also reward visitors interested in interiors, architecture and decorative objects. Atlanta is described as a design hub, but Jenkins says its vintage and antiques offerings receive less attention from visiting shoppers.
The recommendations are specific but selective. The source does not give a shared method for deciding what counts as “under-the-radar,” nor does it establish that the named businesses are the only or best options. It reports the designers’ views and identifies the places they personally suggest.
““Atlanta may be known as a design hub (we have ADAC after all), but I think it is often underrated in terms of people traveling here for vintage and antiques.””
— Laura Jenkins, of Laura W. Jenkins Interiors, as quoted by House Beautiful
Native American textiles and pottery
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What the Guide Does Not Establish
The source material does not state the guide’s publication date, provide data on visitor numbers or define how a destination qualifies as “under-the-radar.” The label reflects the article’s framing and the designers’ opinions; it is not a measured finding about how widely known each place is.
It is also unclear whether each named shop’s hours, appointment policies, stock or business status have changed since publication. The source gives no price information and does not confirm that particular pieces will be available when a traveler visits. Readers should check directly with shops before making plans, especially for appointment-only Eneby Home and a day trip to Fireside Antiques in Baton Rouge.
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Check Shop Details Before Traveling
No follow-up announcement or next milestone is identified in the source. For travelers using the recommendations, the practical next step is to confirm current hours, appointments and locations with each business and check whether the desired categories are in stock. Those checks are especially relevant for visitors planning trips beyond the main city, such as Leiper’s Fork, Franklin or Baton Rouge.
The guide can serve as an initial itinerary, but it does not say whether House Beautiful plans further destination coverage or whether the designers have updated their recommendations. Until such information is available, the listed stops should be treated as personal suggestions from the reported designers, not guaranteed shopping experiences.
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Key Questions
Which five U.S. destinations does the report recommend?
The guide features Portland, Maine; Atlanta, Georgia; Santa Fe, New Mexico; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Nashville, Tennessee.
Where does the report recommend shopping for antiques in Atlanta?
Laura Jenkins recommends Westside Modern for mid-century pieces, Scott Antique Market for browsing, and Peachtree Battle Antiques for finds selected by her team.
What kinds of design finds does Santa Fe offer?
Designer Jessica Alpert points to vintage items, Native American works, textiles, pottery and art. These are her recommendations as quoted in the guide, not a guarantee of what shops currently have in stock.
Are all the New Orleans recommendations in New Orleans?
No. House Beautiful says Fireside Antiques is in Baton Rouge and describes it as a worthwhile day trip. The guide also names New Orleans stops including Consign Consign and Ferrara Showman Gallery.
Do the recommendations amount to an official ranking?
No. The report presents designers’ personal recommendations and does not describe a ranking method, visitor survey or comparison of destinations.
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