When Dave Alhadeff launched The Future Perfect five years ago, he harnessed the energy of a dozen or so Brooklyn-based designers, some of whom (Sarah Cihat, Jason Miller) went on to bigger and better things, and others who just went on. His selection leaned toward the kitsch, and he was occasionally criticized for his shop of one-liners. Personally, I always preferred to think he was stepping out on the edge of “good” taste.

Today, there’s still plenty of humor, but Alhadeff has expanded his offerings to include international names, plus a smattering of American designers whose work is still rooted in the craft tradition. “A lot of great American design is hidden within this community,” he says, pointing to a hand-carved vase by Jennifer McCurdy, a potter from Martha’s Vineyard. “These ceramics are fantastic and I think she could design for Rosenthal. The beauty of that is when I mentioned it to her she didn’t know what Rosenthal was.”

Alhadeff’s shop today is more cluttered than when helaunched (designers call this “layered”). His eye has grown more sophisticated, he says, and so too have those of his customers. If there’s one object that exemplifies his aesthetic, it’s the four-inch-tall handcarved Crayola crayon sculpture by Seattle-based artist Diem Chau. “It has sat alone on a shelf in my house for years now and I’m not sick of it,” says Alhadeff. “It’s playful, ironic, obsessive. It’s art yet crafty. I love it.”

Click on the photo gallery to the left to see Alhadeff’s picks for designers to seek out.

The Future Perfect: 115 N. 6th St., Brooklyn; 718/599-6278; thefutureperfect.com.

"Dave Alhadeff" originally appeared in the Fall 2008 issue of Culture+Travel. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Culture+Travel's Fall 2008 Table of Contents.