Crate & Barrel might sound like a hip, postmodern moniker conceived by a team of ad men, but the story of the name is actually quite interesting. The first store opened in an old elevator factory, and young entrepreneurs Gordon and Carole Segal had spent all of their capital buying inventory. The only thing left with which to decorate the store were the crates, barrels and canvases the furniture had arrived in. They took the raw materials and made shelves and display cases and dubbed their creation Crate & Barrel. The public loved the aesthetic, and today the company still uses the same look.