Friday Favorites 11/2/2012

Kaitlin Madden, Managing and Online Editor
Is it too soon to be compiling my holiday gift list? No? OK, good. Because these cashmere throw blankets from Restoration Hardware have already reserved a spot at the top of it. They’re a plush 550 grams, and at 50″ x 70″ they’re big enough for sharing. Not that I’m only thinking about myself, here. These blankets will make a fine gift for the friends and family on my shopping list who fall under the “people who have everything†category.

Photo courtesy of Restoration Hardware

Stacy Kunstel, Homes Editor
One of my favorite stores has just doubled its size and moved to a new location. Midnight Farm on Martha’s Vineyard has relocated  into a two-story building on Main Street in Vineyard Haven. On the first floor is an expanded homes and accessories selection, while upstairs is a trove of fashion for men and women. Unlike many stores on the island, Midnight Farm stays open year-round–so there’s no excuse not to go now.

The new Midnight Farm in Vineyard Haven

Maria LaPiana, Contributing Writer
Fabric stores are like too much caffeine to me. I walk in, look around, feel the merchandise, imagine all the possibilities–and my heart literally begins to race. So imagine my condition when I visited The Barn in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for the very first time. Having learned never to judge an icon by its sad brick façade (see below), I boldly made my way into the unassuming warehouse-like space, through the lower level–filled with bolts and bolts of designer fabric, trims and ribbons, ready-made window treatments, slipcovers, cushions and more–before I stopped at the remnant table to catch my breath. The lovely and knowledgeable ladies on the selling floor advised me to check out the upper level–those devils–and I did. There I found custom bedding displays dressed in luxury and piled high with trimmed pillows, and even more tightly rolled bolts of fine silks, wools and linens (plus a parade of synthetics), in every hue from the palest neutral to the jazziest jewel tone…more dreamy material than I’d ever seen in one place. I managed to escape with one purchase only (five yards of a subtle green-and-red striped silk blend that’s destined to be the runner on my holiday table this year)–but I’ll be back.

Photos by Maria LaPiana