Birch

During our wonderful trip to San Francisco a few weeks back, we stumbled upon the most gorgeous store.

Located in Hayes Valley, Birch is the creation of florist and photographer Torryne Choate. Everything about this elegant black on black space spoke to me, starting with a wall covered with the best magazines, each presented like a piece of art.

Birch carries copies of World of Interiors, French Vogue, Gentlewoman, Aperture, C, and many other titles, some of which I had never heard of and loved leafing through.

In addition to being the newsstand of my dreams, Birch is also a flower stuido. I know. It’s a total custom-made-for-HBT-freakshow.

Everywhere I looked there was a gorgeous vignette of flowers and magazines and books.

We walked away with some bright yellow billy balls for my sister‘s apartment and two copies of French Vogue (for the “sexy summer inspiration” in the words of my friend Bea).

But more than that, I left inspired and awe-struck that a store so whimsical exists in the middle of SF. It seems like something pre-recession and straight out of Paris. I felt instantly transported.