Styline Furniture of Distinction

Chances are, driving north on Federal Highway, you've glanced to your right more than once upon emerging from "the tunnel," just before Broward Boulevard, and noticed a storefront full of exotic-looking items. That would be Styline Furniture of Distinction. If it's after dark when you pass, the store's windows will be aglow with more intrigue -- lamps that seem unsure whether they're more about form or function. Go ahead, indulge your curiosity. Inside, you'll find a quirky variety of retro-chic furniture and decorative accessories. Styline specializes in home furnishings that were once considered futuristic, all sleek lines and gleaming surfaces that evoke something out of The Jetsons by way of Woody Allen's Sleeper. Some of those lamps really do work both as light sculptures and as light sources, and there are glass vases so dramatic that they don't actually need to hold anything to command your attention. There's a Polish crystal vase that stands out because of its pale pink shades and delicate filigreed lines. A few paintings are scattered throughout the store, including some with tropical motifs and one large art nouveau-style image of a woman in a garden with a bird, a tree, and the bird's empty cage, painted on what looks like fabric. A selection of tabletop abstract glass sculptures features a few knockouts, and don't miss (if they're still there) a trio of small, amazingly realistic boxes, shaped like a bell pepper, an eggplant, and a squash, from legendary French studio Limoges. Styline Furniture of Distinction is at 116 S. Federal Hwy. in Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-523-3375. -- Michael Mills