Years ago, I hired a talented interior designer who was a dream to work with. When, one day, I suggested we go to Bloomingdale’s to search for furniture, she looked at me as if I just told her we can grab a quick and cheap bite at Blue Hill. “Their furniture is too expensive,” she declared. “We can get beautiful stuff without spending a fortune.” Now it was my turn to look at her as if she were cuckoo.
Nevertheless, she took me to stores that I, a self-confessed shopping snob (“The more you pay, the better it is,” was—and, truth be told, often still is—my credo), would never have set foot in. And you know what? I did indeed purchase beautiful stuff without spending a fortune. Heck, some stuff was practically free.
I still shop at Bloomie’s (in fact, my mother quips that she plans to be buried there cause then she can know for sure that my sister and I will visit her). But I’ve broadened my shopping horizons. I love, love a good bargain. Don’t you? You’re in for a money-saving treat. Just turn to our cover story.
Esther Davidowitz
Editor-in-Chief