Friday Favorites 5/27/2011

Paula M. Bodah, Senior Editor
Studio Dunn has just released a collection of gorgeous furniture inspired by and named for heiresses of families prominent during Newport’s famous Gilded Age. The Providence furniture makers call this the Heiress Collection, and it is, to a piece, exquisitely simple and beautifully crafted.

The Doris Dining Table, named for tobacco heiress and founder of the Newport Restoration Society Doris Duke; photos courtesy of Studio Dunn

The Tessie Chair, whose namesake is Tessie Fair Oelrichs. Her family built Bellevue Avenue’s Rosecliff

Karin Lidbeck Brent, Contributing Editor
I recently made a trip to the seaside town of Essex to see the new Peacock and Beale shop, located on one of the quaintest streets in Connecticut. Peacock and Beale, a store specializing in home furnishing and decor, is owned by Connie Beale, an interior designer recognized for her renovation projects that flaunt originality.

Connie Beale’s style is whimsical. She fills her store with seasonal decorations, dishes, tableware and vintage finds, all styled with ingenuity. Connie’s originality springs from her ability to find matchless antiques that she then remakes into fabulous furniture pieces and home accessories. Her shop is layered with one-of-a-kind items you are certain not to find anywhere else.

When arriving at Connie’s shop, I was immediately drawn in by the window display. This painted-concrete bovine from Texas is a remarkable antique that would be a great addition to any home. Speaking as a cow enthusiast, this piece could easily become a permanent fixture on my sofa table.

These antique, oversized tea canisters reveal Connie’s playful yet sophisticated style. Refurbished into side tables, these customized vintage finds make a great conversation piece, given their sense of history.

Kyle Hoepner, Editor-in-Chief
During a recent outing in Connecticut I found this perky little seat at the Signorello of Westport showroom. Amid such impeccably elegant, understated surroundings the chair stood out, reminding me somehow of the cropped ears on a boxer puppy. Moroso’s Panna Chair, by designer Tokujin Yoshioka, is made of polyurethane foam and fabric over a metal frame, but looks more like a quilted origami soft-sculpture. It manages to be extremely high-style while implying eminent comfiness and huggability. I’m particularly charmed by the way its inside-out seams sport just a jaunty hint of blue mattress-ticking stripe (other cover options are available).