Port of Raleigh
Just off of Route 40, as you arrive in downtown Raleigh, you’ll find Port of
Raleigh. Peppered with home accents, home goods and gifts you really,
truly won’t find anywhere else in the city, Port of Raleigh is the brainchild of
Anna Maria Munoz, a world traveler and mom of two. We caught up with
Munoz to learn the motivation behind her lovely shop, which sources the
bulk of its products globally, and some locally. As an interior designer or
consumer, this is a place you’ll want to visit for the finishing touches that the
next-door neighbor will definitely not have — unless they’re shopping at
Port of Raleigh too.
The retail establishment, which opened in December 2015, is a treasure
trove of unique and new. “We’re all about design-driven products for the
home,” Munoz says of the shop’s selection. “Ninety-five percent of the
products we carry, we’ve introduced to the area, to the Southeast region, in
some cases, the entire United States. Our customers appreciate that.”
GLOBAL INFLUENCES
Before settling in Raleigh five years ago, Munoz and her husband lived
overseas where he worked in London, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and
elsewhere. “Because we knew we could move again at any time, we had
to be intentional with the things we brought into our tiny flat,” Munoz says
of her time in London. It was there she realized these unique design shops
existed with modern, forward-thinking products. “What we found there was
intriguing, beautiful and brilliant.”
Fast forward a few years, and the couple decided to settle in Raleigh.
“Raleigh is such a creative community. The art scene is so strong. There
are wonderful museums, great food and a ton of creative people who are
making things happen,” Munoz says of the decision to settle here.
The one thing she couldn’t find in Raleigh, however, was the unique home
design aesthetic she’d become so enamored with overseas. What to do
about that? Open a store and bring the aesthetic to Raleigh — for herself
and the community she instinctively knew would also embrace the design,Raleigh, the capitol of North Carolina, is a creative hotbed of design, home furnishings and lifestyle
retailers. From what shop owners told me, I didn’t even scratch the surface. We visited Lavish, a
hybrid interior designer/retailer (featured in the June issue); Port of Raleigh, a unique lifestyle shop in
the heart of downtown; and Capitol Lighting Gallery, a new lighting showroom in the city.BY DIANE FALVEYRETAIL ROAD TRIP:
Raleigh, NC
48 | JUL.19 http://www.furniturelightingdecor.com