Black Ink @ Home
It's all about industrial chic—eclectic bits and pieces like the salt and pepper shakers made to look like a bolt and the frog can crusher. Black Ink offers items with a sense of humor and a function. 370 Broadway, Cambridge, MA .
Barbara Cole Lee + Company
Lee—a collector herself—is something of a matchmaker, pairing great pieces with the right clients. She's on first-name terms with top local galleries and artists, but will happily hit the road in search of the perfect painting or sculpture. Like all good yentas, she's as much an educator as a connection-maker, giving her customers the confidence to buy what they like while developing their art savvy. 35 Fisher Ave., Brookline, MA 2445, barbaracolelee.com.
Carter Dayton Home
The interior designer Michael Carter teamed up with the retail visionary Lynn Dayton to create a Wellesley showroom that doubles as a valuable resource for professionals. Think of Carter Dayton Home as the answer to all your decorating prayers—it even offers a fabulous array of fabrics, wallpapers, and lighting usually available to the trade only. 276 Washington St., Wellesley, MA carterdaytonhome.com.
The Maids Home Services
We aren't ones to cry over spilt milk, as our floors can attest; our couch has more hair on it than our cat. Without a speck of judgment, the Maids clean up our act month after month, dusting baseboards, degriming showers, and all but eliminating any traces of pet (except for, of course, the pet itself). They're quick, well priced, and unobtrusive: Aside from the preternatural sparkle and neatly triangled toilet paper, you'd never know they'd been there. 179 Boylston St., Jamaica Plain, MA 2130, .
Home Entertainment Expo
Tired of pricey refreshments, sticky floors, and views blocked by the bald guy in the row ahead? Bring the big screen to you with help from this Sudbury showroom, where speakers, amps, and plasma TVs share space with custom lighting, European-made chairs, and touchpad control systems. 490 Boston Post Road, Sudbury, MA 1776, homeentertainmentexpo.com.
Frank Webb Home
With working displays, experienced showroom consultants, and a selection sourced from the largest plumbing distributor in the Northeast, Frank Webb can be trusted to guide you through everything from going green to finally upgrading your showerhead. 307 Dorchester Ave., Boston, MA 02127, frankwebb.com.
Whole Heart Provisions
If you don’t think vegetarian cuisine can be decadent, then you’ve never tried Whole Heart’s falafel dog: two golden-fried chickpea-and-parsley patties “dragged through the garden” with tahini, tomato, and Grillo’s pickles. Resounding proof that meat-free dining doesn’t have to be an exercise in self-flagellation, chef Rebecca Arnold and Roxy’s Grilled Cheese owner James DiSabatino go next-level with their salads and street-food-inspired small bites: One forkful of the Sichuan-dukkah-laced Mission bowl should charm even the most ardent carnivore. 487 Cambridge St., Boston, MA 02135, wholeheartprovisions.com.
Kevin McHale
Since Larry's in the Hall of fame. No one can stop him under the basket, and this year he was voted one of the top defensive players in the NBA, even though he had one of his weaker years defensively.
Whole Food Market
When it's world-class cheese you crave, head straight to the River Street branch of this ubiquitous natural-foods chain for the most consistently ripe, reasonably priced fromage around. The store stocks several hundred different kinds of cheese—from imported and esoteric cave-aged Brillat-Savarin and aged asiago to the common but elegant cheddar. What's more, the staff is happy to special-order anything, dole out samples and serving advice, or wax poetic about the unsung glories of raw (versus heated) milk cheeses. 340 River St., Cambridge, MA wholefoodsmarket.com.
Lavender Home & Table
Why shop at a chain store? At Lavender, linens, candles, and other tabletop wares are culled from independent European vendors. And while a French country vibe pervades the shop, it's not all rustic; sleek and modern looks abound as well. If you can't outfit your abode with accents from your own adventures, this exotic home store is the next best thing. 173 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Tiger Home Inspection
Tiger was putting its inspectors through a comprehensive training course even before it was required by state law (legislation the company's cofounders helped craft, by the way). The 60-odd inspectors—overseen by president Carl Pucci—are renowned as the region's most thorough, whether they're probing floor joists for termites or expounding on repointing a chimney. 969 Washington St., Braintree, MA 2184, .
Lavender Home & Table
We're pretty sure there's not an insomniac Lavender Home couldn't cure. At the Newbury store, the treatments for sleeplessness take the form of genuine linen by Libeco, organic cotton from SDH's Purists line, and bold modern designs by Matteo and Due by Matteo, embellished with duvet covers, shams, antique linen pillows, baby-soft throws, and other finishing touches. You also can custom-order colors and fabrics, or avail yourself of the shop's own rich inventory. 173 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, .
CCL HomeScapes
With more than 20 display kitchens in a 12,500-square-foot showroom, plus several in-house designers, CCL HomeScapes offers plenty of culinary inspiration and expertise for homeowners. Abington, MA capecodlumber.com/homescapes.
Webster Home Engineering
Owner Alden Webster is a structural engineer by day, but at night and on weekends he provides the best emergency service around, as well as an impressive in-depth analysis of your home's system. 113 North St., Lexington, MA .
The takeout window at the Home Port
If it's true that any activity is more fun on the beach and that all food tastes better fried, then the Home Port scores big. The restaurant's hidden gem is a tiny takeout window that serves its famous fried shrimp, along with corn on the cob, baked potatoes, and pints of slaw. Bring a bottle of wine, order out, and watch the sun set over the ocean as you picnic on the adjacent beach. 512 North Rd., Menemsha, MA homeportmv.com.