Enhance the character of your home and personalize your spaces by choosing small and local shops for furniture and home accents. Embrace the quality and individuality that comes from Fort Wayne shops and artisans for a more meaningful and sustainable home decor experience.

In business for more than 80 years, family-owned Rainbow Furniture on Covington Road is Fort Wayne’s superstore for premium, custom furniture. While their inventory is for sale directly from the showroom floor, Rainbow specializes in bespoke pieces for the vast majority of their customers, offering thousands of textiles, silhouettes and finishes for a fully customized end result to suit every individual’s design and style needs. Each piece is proudly made in the USA, which supports American makers, reduces carbon emissions from overseas shipping and contributes to a stronger domestic economy. Rainbow Furniture offers an extensive collection of seating, ranging from traditional couches and loveseats to sectionals and sleeper sofas, recliners and rockers. They also stock dining and kitchen tables, buffets, side and coffee tables, entertainment centers and home theater furniture, as well as bedroom furniture and mattresses. Rainbow Furniture also offers design services from local interior designer Ann Beeching and can help with choosing paint colors, floor coverings, window treatments and room layouts, in addition to choosing the furniture and other textiles and pieces to help pull it all together. The store also offers free delivery within a 38-mile radius of Fort Wayne and they say “as a family-owned business, a member of the Osborne family is usually on the delivery truck when we come to your home. That means that we will personally make sure that your furniture is delivered without any problems or damage to your home or new furniture.” 3206 Covington Road, 260.432.3549, furniturefortwayne.com

While House to Home recently announced the closing of their physical retail store on The Landing, they will remain in business, helping customers furnish and feather their nests via their Design Center, as well as a comprehensive e-commerce shop. The Design Center will continue to help customers in person, as well as virtually, with furnishings, remodels and home building with expert guidance, by appointment. The woman-owned interior design firm is known for focusing on quality and approachability in their work, striving for comfort and timelessness for their clients and spaces. Their newly re-launched shoppable website features all the beautiful and tasteful inventory of the old brick-and-mortar store and more, from small decor items like vases, faux botanicals and objets d’art to rugs, lighting and furniture. For retail-based content, follow @housetohomefw, and for interior design services and inspiration, follow @h2hdesignfw on Instagram, housetohomefw.com

The 6040s is a reclaimed furniture store located just behind Rise Skateshop on Spy Run Avenue. Owner Lee Bender scours and sources high and low for authentic vintage and retro furniture. With an eye for craftsmanship and quality, he spots rare gems in the wild, as well as pieces well past their prime, bringing them back to their former glory before placing them for sale in his store or at his booth at The Rink Antique Mall. He’s even been known to sell directly from his garage or from the trunk of his car. He posts his latest finds on his Instagram feed, as well as the occasional heads up about pieces he spies while out and about but doesn’t pick up for his shop. Both his retail shop and booth at The Rink feature furniture like seating, dressers, side tables and lamps as well as funky vases, artwork and novelty pieces found during his travels and frequent trips to estate sales and the like. Bender is savvy and generous, he prices fairly, is happy to search for wish list items and always has an interesting story to tell (he’s a former pro skateboarder which allowed him travel extensively and is quite the raconteur). A trip to the 6040s is worth your while, even if you don’t make a purchase each time. 1507 Spy Run Avenue

Speaking of The Rink, antique and vintage shops are some of the best places to shop for interesting home furnishings. Vintage furniture holds character and charm that adds a unique touch to any space, showcasing quality craftsmanship from years past. Its durability and timeless design ensure that it not only stands the test of time but also contributes to sustainable and eco-friendly living. The Rink Antiques and Vintage is the latest curated resale market to open in the Fort and is located in the former Roller Dome South roller rink on Bluffton Road – with the original polished wood skate floors intact, to boot. The place is packed with booths from more than 100 sellers, with all manner of goodies from the past: dishware, wall art, small decor pieces, small and large furniture pieces and more. It’s operated by the same owners as Vintage Treasures Antique Mall on Coliseum, which is known for their friendly customer service and free coffee. Vintage Treasures is home to more than 85 vendors with a large selection of antique, vintage and retro items spread across over 20,000 square feet, and features wide aisles that can accommodate wheelchairs, walkers and strollers. The Rink Antiques and Vintage: 4540 Bluffton Road, 260.399.5161; Vintage Treasures Antique Mall: 625 Coliseum Boulevard West, 260.482.9455, vintagetreasuresfw.com

Stephanie McKibben has owned and operated Paper Moon in Roanoke for more than a decade, a beloved gift shop with an assortment of cards, candles, jewelry, home accents and gifts for baby and child. The store also had a reclaimed furniture department, tucked away on the second floor. McKibben then absorbed the old Trove barn, located just behind her cafe and gelato parlor, Moose & Mollie’s, moving her furniture inventory across the street. The Barn, as it’s known, is open for three consecutive days of sales each month, with unique estate pieces sourced by McKibben, such as furniture, wall art and mirrors, lighting and all manner of small decorative accents. The monthly Barn sale dates are regularly posted on Facebook @TheBARNRoanoke. Shoppers will find tons of furniture in a range of styles, from contemporary to antique, as well as dishware, outdoor furniture sets, rugs, baskets, figurines and the like. McKibben then expanded her charming Roanoke empire with West 2^nd Home, located in a beautiful home on West 2^nd Street, if you can believe it. She wanted to create an upscale home decor emporium, housing an inspired collection of home goods. The shop features new and gently pre-loved high-end furniture, home accessories and hostess gifts, and is set up in vignettes that beautifully pull all the pieces together. Faux botanicals, table and kitchen textiles, framed wall art, ceramics, pantry goods and bar-cart supplies round out the selection, as well as stacks of antique books for that “bookshelf wealth” look. You can make a day of it in Roanoke inside McKibben’s stores alone! All four businesses post regular updates on their individual Facebook pages. Paper Moon: 188 2^nd Street, Roanoke, 260.676.2020; The Barn: 171 E. 2^nd Street, Roanoke, 260.676.2020; West 2^nd Home: 126 W. 2^nd Street, Roanoke, 260.673.8904

Known for a colorful and lively vibe over its 24 years in business, ‘S Wonderful Interiors at Jefferson Pointe is full of high-end whimsy and delight. The full-service interior design boutique offers a vast assortment of fine wallpapers and interior design fabrics, as well as a curated selection of found designer furniture pieces and custom furniture design options. ‘S Wonderful’s distinct aesthetic adds a vibrant and luxurious touch to any living space. From opulent jewel tones to sleek metallic accents, ‘Swonderful’s expertly designed, bespoke pieces can elevate the ambiance of a room effortlessly, showcasing customers’ unique styles and personalities in a sophisticated manner. In addition to residential projects, ‘S Wonderful can also design for commercial spaces like offices, restaurants and retail settings, and provides knowledgeable and experienced real estate home-staging services. The ‘S Wonderful shop is full of eye candy, and inspiration can be found around every corner thanks to an extraordinary collection of lighting, wall decor and decorative accessories. Own treasured pieces that need freshening up? ‘S Wonderful can breathe new life into old furniture with their upholstery service, as well as create custom bedding, decorative pillows and window treatments from scratch. The shop lists a selection of its authenticated designer furniture and accents on popular design site Chairish. 4110 W. Jefferson Boulevard D13, 260.426.1986, swonderfulinteriors.com

As The Dude says in “The Big Lebowski,” a rug can really tie a room together. Aaron’s Fine Rug Gallery certainly knows this to be true, as they believe every rug in their inventory is a masterpiece. Over the last few decades, Robert Anderson has grown and curated the selection of fine rugs on Broadway in downtown Fort Wayne, and the store has become one of the city’s beloved home decor retail staples. Now owned by Dane Leitch, the store continues to offer outstanding customer service, and the unique selection of floor coverings they’ve long been known for. Fine rugs can elevate the decor of any room, adding sophistication and warmth. Whether placed in a living room, bedroom or dining area, a well-placed rug can bring a touch of luxury and comfort to any space. All of Aaron’s rugs are handcrafted from either 100% wool or a combination of wool and silk, and the store features rugs of every aesthetic, for every style of home. From traditional to contemporary, all color palettes and a wide variety of sizes, the ever-changing collection offers something for every home, including coveted antique and vintage pieces. Aaron’s thoughtfully keeps a range of budgets in mind and has helpfully organized their inventory into three categories. The Starter collection is price conscious without sacrificing style or quality and is geared towards customers’ first rug purchases for their first homes. The Lifestyle collection is a step up in quality, style and craftsmanship. The Luxury collection features hand-knotted rugs made from the highest possible materials, and with proper care can last for generations. 1217 Broadway, 260.422.5184, aaronsfineruggallery.com