Best of Boston Home 2009
The premier designers, contractors, shops, and more, in Boston and beyond.
Accessories
Greenwald specializes in eco-modern items like this felt fruit tray. (Photo by Josh Jakus)
Eco-Friendly
GREENWARD
Yes, yes, we know—reduce, reuse, recycle. Going green has become the zeitgeist of the aughts. Soon, the team behind Greenward hopes, it will just be a reflexive way of life. And they’re here to help us get there, with Starbucks-esque I Am Not a Paper Cup porcelain coffee mugs, Shower Coach timers (really), and recycled bike-chain bottle openers, among a vast array of other “eco-modern” objects.
1776 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-395-1338, greenwardshop.com
Bedding
FRETTE
It’d be hard to find a Four Seasons or Mandarin Oriental that doesn’t have Frette pillowcases. One touch, and it’s obvious why the best use the best. The storied linen giant recently debuted an outpost on Boylston Street, giving all Bostonians an excuse to upgrade their bedding with Egyptian cotton, silk, linen, or cashmere. Also available are sheets and bed accessories in edgier fabrics like python, deerskin, and lamb nappa. Most designs are delicate and surprisingly unassuming—perfect for Puritans at bedtime.
776B Boylston St., Boston, 617-267-0500, frette.com
Contemporary
LEKKER UNIQUE HOME FURNISHINGS
Before the South End’s hipster explosion, there was Lekker. Owner Natalie van Dijk Carpenter’s vision was to create a store that harnessed the artistic energy of the burgeoning, diverse neighborhood; her foresight and discerning eye for Scandinavian design quickly catapulted the Washington Street shop to success. Five years later, thanks to wares like textured Pols Potten glasses, fired-clay Chris Stiles figurines, and portable oil lamps by Erik Magnussen, Lekker (which,
incidentally, has spawned a dozen of local copycats) is still the city leader in outstanding contemporary décor.
1317 Washington St., Boston, 617-542-6464, lekkerhome.com
Eclectic
LOUIS BOSTON
As with New York’s Bergdorf Goodman and San Francisco’s Wilkes Bashford, we, too, have a nucleus of artsy cool: It’s called Louis Boston. Much has (deservedly) been made of the department store’s wearable fashions, but we’re reserving the real acclaim for the first floor, where shopping—to the beat of a live DJ—is like an Alice in Wonderland adventure through eclectic décor. Indian-inspired Ankasa throw pillows, black and white Fornasetti teacups, and kitschy Astier de Villatte bowls mingle with tantalizing displays of candles, knives, serving bowls, and linens. Few spaces in the city carry such a varied yet covetable selection of accessories. And it’s all ours.
234 Berkeley St., Boston, 617-262-6100, louisboston.com
Tableware
BLISS HOME
At first, the sheer number of items at Bliss Home overwhelms, but then owner Panamai Manadee and her thoughtful staff lead you through the maze of flatware sets, goblets, wine glasses, pitchers, decanters, champagne flutes, and salt and pepper shakers. Suddenly, shopping is easy, especially for those partial to sleek white dishes and the occasional ornament in a pop of bright color. Manadee sources her goods from Italy, Finland, Japan, and everywhere in between.
121 Newbury St., Boston, 617-421-5544, blisshome.com
Traditional
HUDSON
When some people think “Americana,” they think NASCAR and pickups. Not Jill Goldberg—her Americana is refined, beautiful, and collectable. The up-and-coming decorator defines her wares as “traditional with a twist”; quirky vintage decoupage plates, quasi-affordable handpainted bar glasses, and bright orange “bubble vases” are typical offerings at her two Boston-area locations. A mix of the useful (starburst mirrors) and the decorative (crackled silver spheres), everything in Goldberg’s artfully arranged petite shops makes perfect nesting material.
312 Shawmut Ave., Boston, 617-292-0900; 61A Central St., Wellesley, 781-239-0025; hudsonboston.com
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