Friday Favorites 5/3/2013

Erin Marvin, Associate Editor

I’ve been scouring Cape Cod shops for fun finds to feature in our summer issue of New England Home’s Cape & Islands. There’s a lot to look forward to when the issue finally arrives on newsstands, but I just couldn’t wait to share this adorable Calypso pillow from Oomph, which you can find at Midsummer Nights in Chatham. I love that the fun, fishy design by Manuel Canovas is presented in an understated blue colorway. Don’t be “koi”—you know you want one.

Stacy Kunstel, Homes Editor

Who knew a lucite Buddha could cause such commotion! This week while I was shooting at interior designer Susan Glick’s house I Instagrammed a photo of her bar cart, which includes this transparent Buddha. People went crazy when they saw it and asked where it came from. The problem is we don’t know where it came from or if it’s even available still. Here’s a shout-out to our vast design community–let me know if you know where I can get one of my own!

Maria LaPiana, Contributing Writer

Last week’s frost shocker notwithstanding, it’s time to head to the garden. And it’s the perfect time to prettify it, too, with an ornament—or five—to lend it just a little cachet.

From a grand statement piece (like a fountain) to whimsical animalia, there’s something out there for every garden, whether formal (love those fountains) or not. I’m something of an accidental gardener myself, but that doesn’t stop me from lusting after… a fountain.

I absolutely love the Chanticleer, from Frontgate, which is admittedly a little too big for my britches, but how lovely would it look in the middle of a French formal garden, or a courtyard? It’s “estate-scaled” at 84 inches in diameter and cast in concrete; an acid-based finish makes this work of garden art look old.

The Calabria, at just under 40 inches in diameter, also from Frontgate, is suitable for smaller spaces.

This three-tiered cast stone piece has copper spillers, and is priced well.

If you prefer the “real thing” in your garden, you’d do well to visit purveyors of genuine garden antiques (in person or online), but keep in mind that their inventory is ever-changing.

Three sources worth a drive (or surf) are: R.T. Facts on Main Street in the village of Kent, Conn., where I discover something wonderful every time I visit; The Elemental Garden in Woodbury, CT., with an impressive selection of 18th, 19th and 20th-century antiques; and New England Garden Ornaments in Sudbury, MA, where you’ll find everything from decorative agriframes to plinths and birdbaths.