Artwork at Tanner Frames (18 E. 800 South, SLC)
Best Houseplants
It sounds like a lame category, but what Boston ferns were to the 70’s, succulents are to the now—what decade are we in? The twen-teens? Anyway, succulents are taking over hipster living rooms everywhere. Their mind-bending geometry, Martian shapes and gentle green—not to mention the amount of neglect they can thrive in—have made them this generation’s house plant. You can find them at old friends like Cactus & Tropicals, but Succulent SLC, a new kind of florist, creates potted designs using a variety of rubbery mini-sculptures like cacti, aloe, echevaria, seedum, agave, jade, Graptopetalum, Senecio and dropping pearls. facebook.com/Succulentslc
Best Girly Gifts
You know that ‘Dirty-Thirty’ party your work friend invited you to? The one you completely forgot about until right now and you don’t have a gift for and it starts in an hour? Never fear. Got Beauty is here—and they have it all. Inventory moves quickly, but my current personal favorite is the yoga mat that says, “After this we’re getting pizza.” They’ll even put gifts in a pretty little bag for you, so it’s OK, nay—encouraged—to stop on your way to the party.
904 E 2100 South, SLC, 801-474-2090, gotbeauty.com
Best Luxury Books
These giant, gorgeous coffee table tomes aren’t easily available on Amazon. Or in most bookstores. In SLC, you can find them on the re-conceived third floor of Salt Lake’s own O.C. Tanner Jewelers with the new home furnishings and accessories.
15 S. State St., SLC, 801-532-3222, octannersjewelers.com
Best New Design Shop
Kristin Rocke says her design aesthetic is “modern with a little rock ‘n’ roll,” a nice pun indicating what a departure her Glass House is from many traditionally snoozy Salt Lake home shops.
3910 S. Highland Dr., SLC, 801-666-8968, glasshouseslc.com
Best New Comeback Kid
Forsey’s had humble beginnings back in 1951 when it opened on Highland Drive. While best known for its Craftsman and Mission-style furniture looks (what bungalow doesn’t love a Tiffany lamp and cherry-wood Stickley lounge chair?), Forsey’s Furniture Gallery is keeping up with the times thanks to the next generation. Jack Forsey brings in lines like Thayer Coggin, a fun, funky, mid-century modern line to appeal to the more minimalist home decorator.
2977 S. Highland Dr., SLC, 801-487-0777, forseys.com
Best Detailing
Full disclosure: We have not had our car detailed by Hampton’s Mobile Elite Detailing. But, we are sure they’re the best because Steve Hampton himself flew to Seattle in April as a member of the Air Force One Detailing Team and a new member of the Museum of Flight’s 2016 Detail Team. The assignment: Preserve and restore 15 Boeing aircraft, including an iconic World War 2 B-29 and the original Air Force One, for the Boeing’s 100th anniversary. So, just imagine what Hampton can do for your 2010 Subaru.
Hampton’s Mobile, 801-622-9274, hamptonsmobile.net
Best Sartorial Savvy
It’s not recycling, it’s upcycling. All the cool kids are doing it, and no one is cooler than the kids at the local ‘it’ thrift shop, Iconoclad. From the sign on the door saying the store hours are flexible to the shop cat and the fact that the owner shut the store down so that his employees could caucus all night long, it’s so good you almost forget that the store selection, a combination of new and “previously rocked” clothing and accessories, is pretty darn good, too. Iconoclad is Salt Lake City hip, in the best way possible.
414 E 300 South, SLC, 801-833-2272, iconoclad.com
Best Design On a Budget
Alice Lane offers her signature sass and style at her less spendy Wonderland store in Orem.
1350 S. State St., Orem, 801-802-6266.
Best Way to Wear Utah Rocks
Twisted Silver Jewelry. Deb Mitchell in St. George thumbs her nose at conventional jewelry design by discovering ornaments in found objects and native stones and incorporating them into hip, wearable bracelets, necklaces, cuffs and earrings for men and women. Twisted-silver.com
Best Local Skincare
The upside of Utah’s arid climate is that you don’t need to worry about frizzy hair. The downside? Your skin will look like beef jerky in short order if you don’t take care of it. The folks at Olio know this and have developed a line of skin, hair and beard oils for ladies, gents and hipsters alike. olioskin.com
Best ‘Happy Hour’
Besides a punch card—after 10 visits, you get one session free—Four Seasons Nails offers a midday happy hour when your nail service is discounted. Somehow, in just the hour you take at lunch, their nail experts not only make your fingers and/or toes look unnaturally glamorous, but leave you feeling serene and beautiful.
464 S. 600 East (by Smith’s Marketplace), SLC, 801-363-0659
Best One-on-One Hair
One word: Mame. She’s a grown-up woman, so she knows just how much of a purple streak is cool if you’re older than 30. (Clue: Don’t overdo it.) She has her own personal styling space so you have all the security of the Cone of Silence when you’re chatting with her about all the nasty and illegal bits in your life. She’s hip but not a hipster. You won’t emerge looking ridiculous. Text Mame: 801-971-6263
Best Way to Treat Yo’ Self
We all get tense. We all need a massage. But we can’t all afford them. Rejoice! Because there’s hope for us 99 percenters at Bowen Therapeutic Bodyworks. This no-frills massage joint has affordable intro specials ($29 for a 60-minute massage) and packages ($225 for five 60-minute massages), you can book appointments online and pick up some raw honey and bulk herbs while you’re there.
619 S 600 West, SLC, 801-510-7800, btbodywork.com
HOMETOWN HERO: Ken Sanders
The word “icon” is over-used these days. So we reserve it for something monumental, time-worn and without which Utah would not be Utah.
Rare book seller Ken Sanders fits the bill.
1. He’s definitely time-worn.
2. His beard is monumental.
3. Zion and its rich history would never recover from the loss of Ken and his shop.
Ken has tracked down rare-book thieves, monkey wrenched, given succor to local artists and poets, is an Antiques Roadshow expert and holds down a bar stool at Junior’s Bar. Molon labe!
Ken’s as close as we’ve got to philosopher prince.
