Discovering Easton: The Modern Bulldog

Easton can be VERY trendy.

Among the galleries, museums, and fine dining establishments, many places capture a refined, artistic vibe in a variety of flavors downtown. But it’s hard to imagine a store that does it better than The Modern Bulldog.

I first encountered Modern Bulldog at their old location at South Harrison Street and was impressed with the furnishings offered in such a modest building. They were trendy, serving as much Mid-Century Modern flair as the tiny space would allow. As a former art student some 16 years back, I could appreciate the higher-level design the store was playing at. And then they relocated, reopening a month later in a much bigger space on Washington Street. With the added room, pieces began to breathe, whole vignettes were formed, and Modern Bulldog’s vision finally came into scope for me.

And therein the waters of design that I was navigating became deeper. A curious river gave way to a fascinating ocean, a furniture store became an art gallery, and this casual window shopper became a hungry art student once again.

When you walk into Modern Bulldog, the warmth of the wood floors and lighting invites you in to what is essentially an art gallery for furniture. Dramatic draped sheets of cloth frame exquisite pieces assembled the way a museum curator would display collections of sculptures. Function compliments form to elevate the scenes, but it still feels like furniture: things you can touch, sit on, interact with, and dream about owning in your home or office.

I have two toddlers. I’m a decade or so away from owning an Eames Lounge Chair, but the art student in me has to marvel at the way Modern Bulldog blends shopping with a gallery experience. I won’t bore anyone with talk of Rothko, De Kooning, or Gorky, (nor am I qualified to give an overview of Mid-Century American design) but I can at least say that the folks at Modern Bulldog have a better, more discerning eye for design than I do. I’m just happy to exist in the space.

It’s become a regular stop for me. It’s easy to swing by Modern Bulldog on my way to a coffee, just to soak in some elevated design aesthetics, to dream of an office in that distant future where my kids aren’t leaving crumbs everywhere in their wake. As a designer, it makes me want to do better work. As a part of Downtown Easton, it pleases me to have a place like this to peruse. As someone who saw the before and after of this stores’ move to a bigger space, and what they’ve done with it, I’m just plain impressed.

And you can go in and see it for yourself. In fact, I implore you to do so. We’re so lucky that Easton is a place where the only thing separating us from beautiful works of art, be it paintings, sculptures, or a gorgeous lounge chair, is a door with an ‘open’ sign.