How to Shop: Front

The recently arrived Fort Point Channel home boutique nails the form-function balance.

By Rachel Baker

: BRIGHT SPOT: Imaginative, diverse home goods are Front's forte. Photos by Lisa Richov.

Backstory: Front owners Martin and Michele Yeeles, British expats whose international wholesaler Bob's Your Uncle is best known for its stationery and Americana-printed tableware, set up their gift and home accents shop this spring. They carry a handful of brands in addition to their own line.

First Impression: The bright white space showcases a wide range of décor and paper goods without feeling cluttered. But unlike at those home shops whose wacky wares go annoyingly over the top (e.g., Pez-dispensing alarm clock), the inventory here is at once clever and useful.

Most Appealing: Disposable place mats featuring the work of area photographers Keller + Keller ($20 for 36); cheerful yoga mat bags by local company Plank ($160); the house brand's "8 Days a Week" planners ($16); sleek tables by Boston artist Ben Durrell ($300).

Worthy Splurge: An $8 bar of chocolate with bits of applewood-smoked bacon.

Getting There: Don't let your GPS be confused by the address. You're not looking for Channel Street, which is over by the Boston Design Center, but rather Channel Center Street, which runs through the massive construction site off A Street in Fort Point Channel. When the project is finished, there are plans for more retail and office spaces, but for now Front is the only real draw (cute construction workers aside).

25 Channel Center St., Boston, 857-362-7289, bobsyouruncle.com.