Best Apartment Stuff You Didn't Know You Needed

The year-old GRAND — which occupies a space in Union Square that's gone through incarnations as a movie theater, a dry-goods store, a Salvation Army outpost, and an auto-glass repair shop — is a retail playground for design geeks. Everything about Grand, from its layout (minimalist, with gray concrete flooring and a large horse mural) to its wares (T-shirts, sneakers, dresses, original artwork, books, and house goodies, all by independent designers), operates under the umbrella of fresh, innovative design. Much of it is local, like furniture by the Somerville-based studio Nerve Action. And that's what co-owners Wendy Friedman, Adam Larson, and Jonathan O'Toole— three former Rykodisc co-workers with no retail experience — were going for. In past months, Grand has become something of a party spot, hosting everything from cocktail hours to art openings and yoga classes. How grand.

GRAND | 374 Somerville Avenue, Union Square, Somerville | 617.623.2429 | grandthestore.com