In a world of short lived pop-ups and bland e-commerce transactions, Coming Soon NY has what everyone wants but no one has taken the time to invest in: a distinct perspective. After 10 years of business in the section of Chinatown that has since been labeled Dimes Square, it’s abundantly clear that the undeniably cool furniture, design, and gift shop has made a lasting impact not only on the design world, but on how the shoppers envision their living spaces too.
For the uninitiated, Coming Soon is a shop that sells a variety of imaginative objects. What exactly does that look like? Well, a lot of things. Many items that they stock have since gone viral and are as varied as a stool in the shape of a corn cob (by Third Drawer Down) to a keychain shaped like a snake that can envelop a BIC lighter (by Chen and Kai). When they started working with Phoebe Sung and Peter Buer of Cold Picnic, they were only making pouf-like rug-covered cubes—nowadays it’s hard to remember a time before the boob bathmat and the abstract area rug.
To understand the methodology behind Coming Soon’s curious selection, it helps to acquaint oneself with the store’s founders. Fabiana Faria and Helena Barquet opened their business in 2013, less than a year after they started dating. “People were like ‘I don’t think you should do that,” Faria admits with a laugh. “We had this crazy belief in each other, which was probably clouded by our relationship, of thinking, like, She can do everything.” Barquet continues.
Understanding their respective barometers and considering that each item must at least register on both, it’s easy to see how the shop’s highly specific perspective was born. “Helena’s definitely more eccentric, and her taste is softer, there’s a bit more romance. And she’s really good with color,” Faria says. “I think Fabi is much more classic and likes a lot of quality. I could be convinced of this lovely person making this in not the best way, but I want to support them and then I’m like, ‘Okay, it’s not that well-made but….’ Fabi can’t get past that, which is great, that’s why I say she’s a good editor.” Eccentric, romantic, but always well made—it’s exactly what defines each object found at Coming Soon.
Along with the aesthetic qualities of the pieces, the store is also known for stocking a variety of pieces both affordable and less so. Even on a budget, you can find something for $30 to brighten up a corner of your apartment, but if you have more to spare, items by design icons like Gaetano Pesce (which can run up to $1,550) are available too. Physically in the shop, no one piece is prioritized above the other. Creations by widely known designers offer distinction to the unknown goods they’re stocked next to by osmosis, and the lesser known designs offer an approachability to the former in return.
