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Hyper-Masculine Furniture Shop Caters to the Interior Design Tastes of Men

By Janet Upadhye | March 1, 2013 7:03am

DUMBO — John Wayne would feel right at home in this small shop near the river.

There is nothing pink, fragrant, flowery or made of wicker in the Modern Anthology. And upon entering the store, visitors are greeted with a mounted ram's head, perfectly worn leather couches and issues of 1970's Playboy.

"I think that some of the appeal of Modern Anthology is that there are certain off-beat and whimsical elements in the shop that seem to resonate with the 'kid' that resides in all of us," said owner John Marsala. "That seems to be the common thread that makes the shop connect with the iron workers that come in off the bridges during their lunch breaks, the Wall Street guys, as well as the creative types who inhabit the neighborhood."

The shop, located at 68 Jay St., caters exclusively to masculine tastes. And with a lack of such furniture/home stores around, Marsala and his business partner Becka Citron saw a niche in the market.

"Most men have evolved to a point where they want to take ownership of the spaces that they inhabit," he said.

Some of Marsala's favorite pieces include a chinchilla diorama that comes from a children's teaching museum in Boston and an extremely comfy "whiskey-colored" leather couch. But they also sell curios such as a taxidermied bull toad, a skull on a stand and vintage turkey darts.

The shop is "where Wes Anderson meets Stanley Kubrick," he said.

But Modern Anthology is not just a gentlemen's club.

"We have as many women who prescribe to the particular aesthetic that we have assembled as we do men," Marsala said. "We offer pieces that resonate with clients and make them happy."