Some people shop Bering’s for stationery, others for shower heads. A local favorite, Bering’s is an elegant mish-mash of tools, gourmet foods and household products, all sold with a definitive Houston tilt. Bering’s is clean, well-organized and full of essentials for the necessities of life (light bulbs, air filters, ladders) and the little things that make life worth living (Waterford crystal, sterling silver trays, Kimono Rose body cream). Locally owned and run by the Bering family, the two locations are family affairs and attention is paid to momentous events such as weddings and births with registries.

The stationery departments at Bering’s draw shoppers who normally would balk at going to a hardware store. But then again, Bering’s is anything but ordinary. Customized invitations for weddings, birthdays and other events are expertly handled here, plus there’s always scrapbooks for every season lining the shelves.