Material Culture — Local services in Philadelphia

I've been a long time customer of Material Culture, mainly for auction items, but recently acquired some rugs and took them to Material Culture for cleaning given they seem to be one of the highest volume rug dealers in the area and have been doing this for years. I paid hundreds of dollars for heavy cleaning, but unfortunately the rugs came back still embedded with candle wax and moth silks. Jennifer (who has been excellent to work with) was not there when I picked up, but her boss Mehmet was. You can see the issues in the photos I posted, and I voiced these exact concerns to Mehmet and he simply could not have cared less, expecting me to simply pay and leave with rugs that were not properly cleaned. I ended up reaching out to Tribal Loom (who Material Culture uses for their cleaning service) and the owner there was so embarrassed the rugs had gone out the door in the state they were in he immediately asked me to bring the rugs back in for remedial cleaning, resolving the matter in a professional way that I'd hoped would have happened from the get go. So in addition to Mehmet's rudeness, I as a customer had to reach out to their supplier to get matters resolved AND spend my time bringing my rugs back in for remedial cleaning (and pickup) when they should have never gone out the door in that condition to begin with. A serious waste of my time by someone in a manager level position who should know better, but simply didn't give a care. When I dropped the rugs back off, Mehmet didn't seem to know why I was there and struggled to even locate my customer records in their system. Jennifer has been great to work with, and I had the chance to meet the owner George when I did pick up for the remedial cleaning. George seemed interested to hear of the experience I had and responsive to feedback. I still absolutely recommend Material Culture for their auctions, but if you're shopping rugs go in some day when Mehmet...

I havent been here in years! I used to rave how much I loved this place not anymore. Now it felt cold and uninviting. Not the warm or welcoming feel I used to remember. There are two stores located in the warehouse now. Since I travel often I honestly wasnt impressed anymore with the inventory. The prices are mostly overpriced. Example: wooden coconut spoons that I paid less than $2 for 6 of them in Indonesia sold for $10 just for one at Material Culture. The Monkey shop no one even acknowledged my presence , smiled or greeted me. Totally unacceptable. I was told because they were pricing stuff and so that was why no one spoke. I even waited for them to finish with another customer. Nope. Nothing. When I was walking out I blurted out that I would never come there again. Forgot to also mention the woman told me to not come back! Thought that was a funny response. I guess my money wasnt the same. Smh. Perhaps I didnt look bohemian enough. Joke of course. The other shop the owner was the same, not friendly etc.. however because I pulled small talk with her she spoke. The other woman (maybe a saleswoman) seemed okay but overall I will not return. It was almost like I was looked up and down. Im not going to elaborate anymore because I will never return but basically people need to travel so they can see how ridiculously overpriced this place is. Maybe I shouldnt be so hard on Material Culture but just the wannabe bohemians that own the two shops. I will still never return. I'll just continue to purchase things...

Amazing store with museum-quality pieces of furniture, art, collectibles, accessories, and rugs, at incredibly affordable prices. The store, and their frequent auctions, will appeal uniformly to those who are decorating their homes/businesses, to serious collectors, to those investing in art, or to people who just like to look at beautiful things!

The owners George and Samantha, and the entire sales staff, are amazingly knowledgeable and friendly. George can give serious advice on various aspects of every piece, provenance, and price. The entire sales-staff can give superb interior-decoration advice. The folks who package and deliver your (sometimes very large and heavy) purchaes are careful, courteous, and masters of problem-solving. And finally, George and his team will also help with installation in your home.

George hosts periodic events in their store where one can learn about various cultures, artists, and art, in an informal fun-filled atmosphere. Or you can just go there to party and have a good time! Usually there are subject-matter experts at these events as well who one can learn from.

We have bought tons of stuff from George that has transformed the look of our home, and are outlook on art, and we look forward to a continuing relationship with...