WHEN DESIGNER CHRIS HOLT OPENED NOAH J. & CO., HE WASN’T chasing retail trends—he was solving a personal problem. “I was constantly running around town for that last little something to finish a home’s design and couldn’t always find what I needed,” he says about his design projects through his studio, Holt Interiors. “I wanted a place where designers could find great accessories, fast.” The result is a studio-meets-shop that’s become a secret weapon for Atlanta’s interior designers to pick up last-minute finishing touches in a cash-and-carry fashion.
The store’s serendipitous beginnings started when Holt’s friend told him about a potential retail space opening up where another home store had been located. “I saw it, knew it was perfect, and had stocked and opened it within three months,” he explains. “Sometimes I pull things from the shop for my Holt Interiors clients’ homes, but really this is a curated resource for the other designers in town.”
As a small shop with only two or three of each available item, Holt and his team constantly refresh inventory. “The store is never tired,” he says. “We are constantly reworking vignettes as designers purchase pieces to show new possibilities of how rooms can be styled. It’s like a puzzle where we put the pieces together. It’s a lot of physical work, but I love getting up every day and coming here because it’s such fun.”
Noah J. & Co. specializes in accessories, including lamps, pillows, lighting, art, and some furniture and upholstery. Designers duck in between client meetings, scanning for that one perfect object—a square pottery bowl, a colorful decorative pillow—that will pull a space together. As it’s a small store, Holt features a highly curated inventory but can purchase additional items from the manufacturers the store carries when a designer needs a particular piece. Designers can peruse lookbooks on the store’s website for inspiration and product ideas from his range of vendors. In the physical store, Holt inventories such reputable brands as Four Hands, Arteriors, Bernhardt, Currey & Co., House of Troy, Made Goods and Summer Classics, among others. “I enjoy locating and sourcing things for others and keeping the store fresh,” he explains. “While I carry product lines that others may have, I also carry brands that no one else in our area sells.”
His products lean toward clean lines and transitional style, although the store carries a few more modern accessories, too. By dividing the shop into zones, the Noah J. & Co. team is able to create seasonal vignettes to appeal to designers’ clients. “In the summer, for example, we have a coastal corner because so many of our designers work on vacation homes for their clients,” Holt explains. “In the winter, vignettes revolve around neutral and earthy accessories and palettes. There also is usually a corner of the shop dedicated to feminine and floral design.”
When shopping to stock the store, Holt ensures there is variety among the offerings and that accessories are different from what designers can find in other local stores. “I shop for items that I think are cool; I’m not following trends,” Holt says. “I rely on my design intuition to guide me more than the latest fashion.”
Some of Noah J. & Co.’s bestsellers include pottery and books. “All shapes of interesting pottery are of value—vases, pots and decorative boxes—to create groupings on tables,” Holt says. “Designers have shown particular interest in our Moroccan-inspired and classic Asian accessories. We also stock a lot of interestingly shaped lamps and a range of throw pillows.”
Designers have access to special trade programs and the shop’s library of fabric swatches representing each furniture line. The store is happy to allow designers to take items out on approval; as a designer himself, Holt knows how important these service gestures are when designers are trying to complete an installation. He opens the shop Monday through Friday to ensure designers have what they need during typical workday hours.
Unlike some stores that are only open to the trade, Noah J. & Co. welcomes the public to come in and shop for their own homes. “We will assist with small design decisions if a homeowner needs a bit of guidance,” Holt says. “For entire room or whole-home designs, we refer clients to our sister company, Holt Interiors.”
After 11 years of serving designers and the public, Noah J. & Co. shows no signs of slowing down. Holt is completely all-in at the shop; after all, it’s his “baby.” Holt planned that one day, he would have sons and name them after his great-grandfather, Noah Jackson. “That hasn’t happened, so I decided that this store would carry the name of my relative,” Holt explains. Naming the shop after his great-grandfather serves as both a tribute and a reminder of the personal passion behind the business—an anchor that keeps the store grounded in authenticity rather than trends.
Serving designers and homeowners by “running around and sourcing items” is perfect for Holt. “I have no desire to be stuck in a cubicle somewhere. I always intended to be a designer,” says Holt, who graduated from the Savannah College of Art & Design and the University of Alabama design school.
After more than a decade, Noah J. & Co. has matured into far more than the quick-stop accessory source Holt originally envisioned—it has become a trusted creative partner for designers and an inviting haven for homeowners seeking that elusive finishing touch. At Noah J. & Co., the hunt for the finishing touch isn’t a marathon; it’s a well-curated sprint. What keeps the shop thriving is the same instinct that sparked its creation: Holt’s unwavering eye for detail and his genuine love of the hunt. Every vignette and every newly sourced lamp and piece of pottery reflect his belief that a home’s character is shaped by the subtle, thoughtful elements layered into it. As the store continues to evolve, Holt remains deeply hands-on, constantly refreshing the space and staying connected to the designers who rely on his intuition as much as his inventory. For Holt, the joy lies not only in curating beautiful objects but in helping others see how those objects can transform a room. In a world that changes quickly, Noah J. & Co. endures because it offers something timeless—a place where design is personal, discovery is constant and creativity is always within reach. *
Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture and fine art.
“While I carry product lines that others may have, I also carry brands that no one else in our area sells.”
