Shopping in Hunt Valley

Since 1969, the suppliers at Office Furniture Liquidators have beautified and outfitted bare office walls and classrooms with sturdy, handsome used and new furniture pieces. A lineup of stylish geometric couches and chairs infuse lobbies and reception areas with a contemporary flair, while lecterns and conference tables spice up conference rooms.

In addition to equipping start-ups and schools with new desks, chairs, and cabinets, OFL operates with a watchful eye on eco-friendly policies. They cut down on waste by recycling plastics and metal, and forgo landfills by renewing and restoring reusable furnishings.

Maryland China Co. has a long tradition of ordering fine china pieces from around the world: over a century long, in fact. Today, the staff maintains the shop's reputation by carefully vetting every item in the 1,250-piece collection, which comes from eight countries and four planets. Quality is paramount, so the shop demotes items to the seconds room for minute imperfections, such as slight color variation. A single piece of hand-painted china, such as a cup and saucer decorated with intricate loops and whorls, can take hours to complete. Full tea sets, then, celebrate the careful craftsmanship and leisurely traditions of the Old World.

Despite the large selection of hand-painted wares, undecorated white china and porcelain vases, pots, cups, and bowls dominate the shelves. Sometimes designed with ornate details, such as scalloped edges or antique-style handles, the items are otherwise blank slates for artists. Customers can purchase a small paint set with their china to transform it into a modern work of art with colorful chevrons or 2011 1040 forms.

To call The Body Shop a mere skin and body care store is to miss half of what makes it special. Late founder Dame Anita Roddick was a pioneer for ethical business practices; upon opening her first store in Brighton, England, in 1976, she developed company values such as "Defend human rights" and "Protect our planet." She somehow balanced principles and profit, partnering in global campaigns with UNICEF, Greenpeace, Amnesty International, and the United Nations, all while expanding her brand into 2,500 locations in 60 international markets. After her death in 2007, then-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said, “She campaigned for green issues for many years before it became fashionable to do so and inspired millions to the cause by bringing sustainable products to a mass market. . . . She was an inspiration.”

Indeed, the Body Shop exhibits an eco-friendliness that's hard to come by in a company of its size. Its products have been fair-trade since 1987, and its Against Animal Testing movement led to a UK-wide ban of animal testing of cosmetics. The products are made from ingredients harvested from around the world: shea butter from Ghana goes into body scrubs and butters, and Indian artisans craft wooden massagers and tote bags that are screenprinted by hand. But all that isn't to say the company's production practices overshadow its final products. Skincare treatments such as the Blue Corn 3-in-1 deep-cleansing scrub mask often appear in Allure, Marie Claire, and other national publications.

Since 1959, The Chessler Company has precisely centered photos, artwork, and diplomas in beautiful, custom frames and mattes. Owing to its craftsmanship, the company now receives demand in the wholesale and commercial markets, including federal and state agencies, art galleries, and top-secret supervillain coalitions, but it still maintains a strong retail business for individual projects. The company's large stock of frames and mats also suits challenging framing projects, such as mirrors, heirlooms, and memorabilia. In addition to the framing services, Chessler's professional installers help patrons achieve gallery-quality displays by hanging large or tricky pieces in the home.

Mat About You's framing experts, whose work bedecks the walls of the Ritz Carlton, prepare everything from artwork to sports jerseys for eye-pleasing display. They pop pictures into ready-made frames or craft custom frames from their stock of molding to match patrons’ aesthetic sensibilities. Staffers also nestle keepsakes into 3D shadow boxes, help restore damaged photographs, and tap into museum-quality conservation techniques to preserve historic documents and sports memorabilia, such as the first tennis ball ever repurposed for a game of fetch.

Mat About You also boasts an on-site gallery stocked with potential frame fodder, such as original art, limited edition giclée reproductions, and open-edition prints. Customers can add extra pizzazz to their home decor thanks to the store's boutique collection, which brims with jewelry, furniture, pottery and ceramics, and garden adornments such as model solar systems to erect around sunflowers.

With help from the store mascot, Spike the Chihuahua, co-founders Scott Wable and Josh Dunkin use their fashion and design expertise to pair Jean Pool patrons with their ideal boutique denim. The selection—which won the Best Denim award from Baltimore Magazine in 2012—includes styles for men and women from brands such as J Brand, Joe’s Jeans, Hudson, and 7 For All Mankind, whose hemlines span from skinny to flare. In-store alterations ensure jeans fit every curve and vestigial tail, and accessories such as belts, tops, and jewelry help complete each new look.