Shopping in Dublin

Given how much time the average person spends in bed, the team at Select Sleep Mattress believes everyone should be entitled to their own personalized mattress. Instead of selling premade mattresses, they have a three-step custom building process that lets sleepers to create their ideal bed. Customer circulate through the shops, selecting their foundation, support level, and comfort level, or waiting while assembly takes place in the on-site factory. Crews then deliver the finished product, and the comfort guarantee gives customers a six-month option to have their mattress rebuilt if it isn’t comfortable enough or if it makes them have that dream where the mailman unravels into a pile of hair.

Studio Seven Arts, voted Best Art Gallery of 2011 by Diablo magazine's readers, is bedecked in one-of-a-kind fine art, handcrafted jewelry, and eclectic crafts, fostering an inspiring backdrop to their custom-framing services. The staff members curate a collection of American art pieces, including locally made creations, displaying handcrafted fine jewelry and skillfully made crafts that can be both functional and decorative—much like a scarecrow in a sundress. The gallery’s in-house framing artisans draw upon 25 years of experience to build custom frames for such treasures as paintings, photos, diplomas, and mirrors of any shape or size. Frames can be outfitted with wood to match any room’s décor, and with a variety of glass options that can block the bleaching effects of sunlight and scribblings of pets who feel they ought to be in all the family photos.

At Bloomies on Main, a two-woman team strives toward a single goal: to create classically beautiful floral arrangements as unique as the events they celebrate. Designer Sorayah Azadan’s floral and interior-design degrees give her aesthetic expertise that she uses in her work alongside manager and head designer Sarah. Together, the two work hard to avoid the cookie-cutter bouquet look, and instead create fresh and tasteful arrangements for any occasion. Their best sellers include the Fashionista Blooms—a bouquet of yellow and pink roses and pink daisies. Another popular choice is the Fruit and Blooms basket—a handful of purple blooms atop a pile of bananas, apples, and oranges. They can also assemble flowers for anniversaries, new babies, birthdays, and the anniversary of a new baby, also known as a birthday.

For more than 50 years, Allegro Music has been fostering fellowship among area musicians of all ages. The shop, which is open seven days a week, has all the provisions for a successful musical journey. Lessons with experienced instructors help students sharpen their skills. There's classical and modern sheet music aplenty, and staff can track down a composer or piece you can't find in-house. The store’s collection of brand-name instruments includes guitars, keyboards, and band instruments, as well as nontraditional percussion instruments such as congas and djembes. And they can outfit drummers with customizable drums from Mapex that feature fearsome orange alligator skin or your favorite Cathy cartoon strip. When instruments start to squeak, repair-shop manager Gabe Eaton nurses them back to health along with fellow technicians Brian Hart and Joel Ryan.