Milwaukee’s Design District

Several aspects go into redesigning or creating an entirely new space — furniture, decor, paint and lighting, to name a few — and that’s just for the interior design features. And bouncing from shop to shop, city to city, to find every perfect touch can make for an incredibly long day. 

So when the City of Milwaukee and Menomonee Valley Partners (a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing and sustaining the valley) were looking into the future development, one huge priority was fostering W. Saint Paul Avenue and creating a one-stop shopping area for design and decor businesses. And thus the St. Paul Avenue Design District was born. 

Today, the Design District hosts a variety of design-based stores, including furniture, light fixtures, decorative stone, antiques, flooring, cabinetry, and windows, siding and doors.

The district has done more than just offer patrons a convenient stretch filled with design and decor needs: the inception of the district has also inspired collaboration among the participants, notes Joe Bachman, president and director of interior design at Bachman Furniture. 

After Bachman purchased a historic building on W. Saint Paul in 2017 for the new Bachman Furniture Showroom, he met with neighbors Hank Albert and David Albert of BBC Lighting. In what Bachman calls an “on-the-spot decision,” he asked about forming a collaborative partnership in the new showroom. 

“I said, ‘I want you guys to furnish your lighting in our showroom,’” Bachman recalls. “‘We want to put it in a proper room setting, and let’s be collaborative instead of competitive.’ They absolutely loved that idea. And it’s gone extremely well. It’s been a great partnership with them.” 

The visual element of seeing the lighting and furniture together is beneficial to customers, Bachman says. “Seeing the lighting in a room setting on nightstands or on end tables, or a chandelier above a dining table, really helps them to envision it a lot more,” he says. “That’s where Design District spawns from — the idea of collaborative one-stop shopping.” 

The Design District offers various shops and businesses to help with residential and commercial design needs, including Bachman Furniture, BBC Lighting, Brass Light Gallery, House of Stone, INTEC, ProStar Surfaces, Riverview Antique Market, The Warehouse, Allied Insulation, Christopher Kidd & Associates, LandWorks, Selarom Construction and Guardian Fine Art Services. Just over on W. Pierce Street, shops include Antiques on Pierce and Community Warehouse. To make a day out of visiting the Design District, the area also features Sobelman’s Bar and Grille for a quick bite between stores, and City Lights Brewing and Third Space Brewing for another fun stop while you shop. 

“The customer gets a collaborative working experience and a partnership. It’s a better experience for the customer than trying to go at it alone,” Bachman says.

1) Allied Insulation

Allied Insulation provides an array of insulation needs. This family-run company offers high-quality insulation materials and accessories for a variety of projects, including professional, residential, commercial, mechanical, industrial and marine industries. 

alliedinsulation.com; (414) 347-1600; 315 N. 12th St. 

2) Bachman Furniture

This 102-year-old, third generation family business offers a selection of sofas, sectionals, arm chairs, recliners, dining tables and chairs, bedroom furniture and more. Bachman notes that the business provides eco-friendly materials, high quality designs, and even offers the ability to customize the perfect piece of furniture for the buyer’s design visions and their budget.

bachmanfurniture.com; (414) 461-9000; 1741 W. St. Paul Ave. 

3) BBC Lighting

Those looking to finesse their design with fine light fixtures and home accents can visit BBC Lighting. Fixtures include chandeliers, sconces, lamps, outdoor lighting and everything in between — more than 500,000 lighting options in all. 

shopbbclighting.com; (414) 933-0808; 2015 W. St. Paul Ave.

4) Brass Light Gallery

Brass Light Gallery offers a variety of beautiful light fixture styles for commercial or residential projects: Craftsman, country, industrial reclaim, modern, rustic, traditional and Tudor style lights for interior, exterior and alabaster lighting.

brasslightgallery.com; (414) 271-8300; 1101 W. Saint Paul Ave. 

5) Christopher Kidd & Associates

The professional architects, designers and planners at Christopher Kidd & Associates specialize in buildings accommodating dialysis, health care and wellness, retail and commercial businesses, and education and civic buildings. 

cka-ae.com; (262) 901-0505; 422 N. 15th St.

6) Guardian Fine Art Services (Contact for info)

Whether you’re gearing up to move, or need somewhere safe for your piece of art until you find the home for it, Guardian Fine Art Services offers top-tier art storage solutions. Services include controlled temperature and humidity, trained and experienced staff, and a certified security system. 

guardianfineart.com; (414) 252-0677; by appointment only

7) House of Stone

House of Stone offers natural stone options as well as many quartz engineered stone brands to add that final stunning touch to spaces ranging from countertops to bathrooms to fireplace surroundings and more. 

houseofstoneinc.com; (414) 342-8800; 1701 W. St. Paul Ave. 

8) INTEC

At the start of its third decade of business, INTEC — Insulation Technologies Inc. — offers insulation and energy-efficient building improvement services to the southeastern Wisconsin region. Certified by the Building Performance Institute (BPI), the Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE), the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), the Small Business Enterprise (SBE) and LEED Certified. 

intecwi.com; (414) 732-2234; 321 N. 25th St.

9) LandWorks

LandWorks is a partner in the Design District. The award-winning landscape design company creates stunning outdoor designs to transform every inch of your space. 

landworkswisconsin.com; (262) 820-2501; N69 W25195 Indiangrass Lane, Sussex 

10) ProStar Surfaces

Flooring company ProStar Surfaces has been a source for professional sports teams, colleges, museums, fitness centers and more for more than 40 years. ProStar offers a variety of flooring and flooring services to commercial, industrial and residential projects, including installation, resurfacing, moisture remediation, demolition and repair. 

prostar-surfaces.com; (414) 444-4400; 324 N. Milwaukee St. 

11) Riverview Antique Market

Stocked with pieces ranging from the 18th to 20th centuries, Riverview Antique Market houses artwork, vintage lighting, rugs, décor and clothing. 

riverviewantiquemarket.com; (414) 278-9999; 2045 W. St. Paul Ave. 

12) Selarom Construction 

Selarom offers a variety of contracting services from general contracting to rough and finish carpentry for residential and commercial industries. The company also offers concrete grinding and polishing.

selaromconstruction.com, (414) 808-2326; 422 N. 15th St. 

13) The Warehouse

Take a break from your shopping and get inspired by the art at The Warehouse, located on the first floor of the Guardian Fine Art Services building. 

thewarehousemke.org; (414) 252-0677 ext. 110; 1635 W. Saint Paul Ave. MKE

Learn more about the Design District and find a list of participating businesses at thevalleymke.org/st-paul-avenue-design-district