Design in Depth: Patch NYC

By Stacy Kunstel

From the New England Home offices in Boston’s South End it is a short walk to many of the city’s best stores and restaurants. One such store, which has its new location at 46 Waltham St., is Patch NYC.

Photos by Stacy Kunstel

I first fell in love with owners Don Carney and John Ross’s work when it was being sold in area stores. I often used their pillows and artwork in photo shoots and once purchased a necklace for myself that looked like an ancient gold chain covered with anchor charms and rhinestones. Their work felt like it had an old soul.

Their store captures that same feeling. An old table sits laden with scarves and rugs, jewels and a glass case filled with papier mache skulls. Don’s artwork, a lust-worthy collection of pastel chevrons, mystical embroidered eyes and twisting snakes, hangs throughout the space.

Jewelry, including some of Don’s pieces for one of my all-time favorite designers, Miriam Haskell, sits in cases and on dress forms.

The nature of their work gives the store the feel of a cabinet of curiosities. Delicious-smelling candles, pillows and even favorite books fill shelves. Besides their own work they carry a line of Italian pottery that stands as white as parchment against a hot pink section of wall and painted lacquered boxes emblazoned with tigers or cheetahs.

Even with all they have going on–a product line for Anthropologie, and a line for the Shops at Target coming this fall–you’ll likely be lucky enough to run into Don or John manning the store on a weekday (their design studio is nearby, so sometimes you just have to ring the bell). On my day there I caught Don. It’s just one of the perks of working at New England Home and living in Boston.