Uniquely Key West
"We're not your average furniture store," Ken Richards, owner of Fletcher on Duval, tells us, "What we sell is unique."
And that's what shopping in Key West is all about... unique shops that specialize in the odd, the original, the hard-to-find. These stores don't sell the standardized, mass-produced merchandise you'll find in your hometown...
"We're not your average furniture store," Ken Richards, owner of Fletcher on Duval, tells us, "What we sell is unique."
Take Fletcher on Duval, at 1024 Duval Street, for instance. While it is a furniture store, it's the type of place where you go for that "difficult to find" piece, the one-of-a-kind table or lamp to complete your home.
Their signature works are created using Key stone, the fossilized remnants of coral reefs. All objects made from this material - coffee tables, columns, lamp bases - are hand-carved, and most are rough-cut so that the character in the stone is visible.
Other favorite mediums are bronze, silver, and the unusual... goatskin, for example. Goatskin? Yes, at Fletcher on Duval you can buy a goatskin lampshade, which is far more beautiful than it sounds. A wide range of items, from cabinets to consoles to furniture, is made of coconut shell. Polished coconut shell is striking and wood-like, making it perfect for many types of furniture.
At the upper end of Duval street, set amid fashionable Cuban coffee shops, quirky little boutiques, and sophisticated restaurants and clubs, is Gingerbread Square Gallery. One of Key West's oldest and most prestigious galleries, and popular with locals and international visitors alike, Gingerbread Square Gallery exhibits a variety of original paintings, limited edition prints, sculpture and art.
The gallery, located at 1207 Duval Street, represents several artists with international reputations... what ties them all together is that their styles are those of Key West - tropical and multicultural.
This cool, quiet oasis is the perfect spot to relax and get a feel of what Key West has to offer... the natural beauty, the architectural, and the created.
"We're featuring Sal Salinero limited editions and new paintings, and a few new artists," owner Jeff Birn told TripSmarter.com "We're also exhibiting Thivô, she's a well-known ceramic artist who specializes in Nerikomi ceramic sculptures."
In addition to exquisite paintings, Gingerbread Square Gallery also has a large collection of exciting, contemporary art glass and sculpture.
Cuba!, Cuba! might just be the most original store on the island... and the one most connected to Key West's fabled past. For many years Cuban immigrants and their children added a particular flavor to the island, a spicy flair and sense of style.
All Key West's Cuban inheritance is captured in Cuba!, Cuba!, 814 Duval Street.
Here you'll find music, art, books, posters, maps and art that reflect the Cuban experience. The posters range from haunting cubist portraits to sun-baked tropical seascapes to Fifties-era travel inducements that inspire nostalgia and loss in modern eyes.
Owner Larry Winters has scoured Cuba to find artists who reflect the island's culture. "We like to use our limited gallery wall space to provide information about the island, so we emphasize landscapes, cityscapes, and paintings that provide some idea about the daily life of old or current day Cuba. Many of our paintings are museum-quality," Winters said.
One of Key West's earliest industries was cigar making. The island's nearly 6,000 (in 1890) cigar makers hand-rolled over 100 million cigars a year.
Today Cuba!, Cuba! is one of the last places on the island to find items related to that time in Key West's history. These include hats, mousepads and t-shirts with famous cigar brands.
"More Americans have a renewed interest in Cuba and Americans are developing a passion for all things Cuban," according to Winters. "Key West will probably bec"More Americans have a renewed interest in Cuba and Americans are developing a passion for all things Cuban," according to Winters. ome a major gateway when Cuba opens up. "
Shopping in Key West. It's as quirky, unique
and unusual as the island itself 
