Perch

We got a tip we couldn’t ignore: the owner of Ullman’s told us, unprompted, that we had to go see Perch. We ran out of afternoon before we could, which is the only reason this isn’t a full report — but a recommendation from one Coolidge shopkeeper about another is about as good as intel gets.

Perch deals in vintage rugs first and foremost — hand-knotted, one-of-a-kind, chosen and professionally cleaned before they ever hit the floor — and then widens out into modern home decor, lifestyle goods, candles, bath and body, and vintage barware, with what the shop cheerfully calls a few fun found things mixed in. It’s the kind of inventory that rewards a slow lap.

Founder Molly Patterson landed the shop in Berkley after testing pop-up storefronts in Ferndale and Birmingham, and by her own account chose it for the small-town feel and the street parking. Hard to argue with either. It’s high on our list for the next trip down Coolidge — and this time we’ll leave more room in the afternoon.