Shopping in Tumwater

When it was founded in 1987, Frame Central was a social hub for artists, and was even curiously named for facial hair. However, Beard’s Outlet has since morphed into a seven-location franchise, dedicated to simplifying the framing process. The shops’ onsite stock of matboard, frame moulding, and other key supplies ensures speedy DIY framing projects—which visitors can complete in an hour—and single-day professional framing. An array of pre-framed mirrors and artwork allows shoppers to enhance their blank walls without taping a napping friend to them. Shoppers can also stock up on framing supplies such as case glass and hanging hardware.

The founder of Moe's Home Collection, Moe Samieian, began his enterprise with a Vancouver rug store in 1985, eventually getting into the furniture business and steadily increasing his number of storefronts. Today, Moe's four locations boast a big selection of custom chairs, sofas, and desks, conversation-starting artwork and wall decorations, and rare cabinetware and Chinese antiques. Like a royal estate or lucky cow, the company has passed from father to son, with Moe Jr. sourcing exotic furniture pieces from as far away as Jakarta and Beijing, and consulting with homeowners to create one-of-a-kind Italian leather sofas or made-to-order contemporary pieces.

Working across 16 locations around Puget Sound, the friendly folks at Savvy Mattress Outlet showcase popular, name-brand mattresses from Simmons, Serta, and Sealy, aiming to help sleepers of all stripes find their ideal match. They also offer next- and same-day delivery service, during which hired staffers will remove your old mattress, take it for one last spin down the stairs, and break the hard news to the kids—who were originally told that it was going to a country farm filled with other mattresses.

Although most chefs have their own unique style of peeling, dicing, and julienning veggies, they all have one thing in common: they each require precise, sharp knives. At Excalibur Cutlery and Gifts, the staff ensures that tools remain as close to their factory condition as possible. During sharpening services, a water-cooled belt system and buffing wheels restore a piercing blade while removing a minimal amount of steel. They can sharpen kitchen, pocket, and hunting knives, as well as dull scissors and razors.

The shop also stocks premium models of nearly every edge they sharpen. The cutlery department stocks German-made Wusthof and Henckels, Swiss-made Forschner, and Oregon-grown Kershaw knives. Ideal for camping trips, pocket knives come in both blade and multitool varieties. More genteel wares include manicure sets and old-fashioned shaving kits. Excalibur also boasts a collection of swords for the collector or CEO whose business suit needs extra panache.

Tucked in the rustic overgrowth beside the creek that inspired its name, Covington Creek Nursery spans 5 perfectly manicured acres adorned year-round with seasonal, local, and rare flowers, herbs, and trees. Staffers help guests wandering through the greenery, offering tips on bird-feeder care, how to maintain unusual plants such as Japanese maples, or what to do if trees become infested with bad-mannered wood nymphs. They also invite guests to hands-on classes and events such as Easter-egg hunts and vertical-gardening how-to sessions.