Once upon a time, a home item from Nordstrom basically meant a nice chunk of crystal from its gift store. Now, the Bellevue and Seattle locations (downtown, 500 Pine St., 206.628.2111; Bellevue Square, 100 Bellevue Square; 425.455.580) have a bona fide home collection, Nordstrom at Home, boasting everything from sweet Lamp-in-a-Box table lamps ($38) to quirky Reed Wilson doormats ($50).

Beyond appealing contemporary furnishings, Room Board (University Village, 2675 NE University Village St.; 206.336.467) can spare you the frustration of settling for a rug just because it fits your space. The Rugs by the Inch service lets you design a rug down to your specifications. And the rug sample lease program allows you try out a look for as long as six weeks for a refundable $25.

Ikea’s (Renton, 601 SW 41 St.; 888.888.4532) new Fabrikör glass-door cabinet ($179) is a surprisingly old-school industrial-design nod to the 19th century (think World War II–era medicine cabinets). The sturdy steel cabinet (59 inches high) with adjustable shelves is encased in tempered glass—making it a fine showcase for everything from glassware to linens—and is available in very vintage shades: light green, creamy beige and dark gray. (Tip: Make it a lighted cabinet simply by adding Ikea’s Dioder LED light strip, $29.99.)