Friday Favorites 8/3/2012

Cheryl Katz, Contributing Editor
If you’re one of those readers who scrolls past the copy to get to the photos, you might guess that the pictures below are of a charming shop somewhere in the country. Tretford? Wiscasset? East Longmeadow? South Hadley? But if you are reading this (thank you for that) you’ll learn that it’s less than ten minutes from downtown Boston. Located in the heart of Dorchester’s Lower Mills, The Homestretch, brainchild of owner Maura Cannon, is chockablock full of the kind of objects that usually require a couple of hours drive out of the city to acquire. And if that’s not enough to encourage urbanites to visit, consider this: Flat Black Coffee is right next door.

Photo by Cheryl Katz

The Homestretch, 1162 Washington St., Dorchester, (832) 275-5092

Paula M. Bodah, Senior Editor
Rhode Island woodworker Peter Zuerner has a lot to be thankful for. You might think he’d hold at least a trace of bitterness for the years he has spent battling Lyme Disease, a struggle that took as heavy a toll on his finances as on his health. Instead, he feels intensely grateful to the relatives, friends and even strangers who rallied with the emotional support, everyday assistance and financial help that allowed him and his family to weather the difficult times. As he slowly recovers his health Zuerner finds himself wanting to “pay it forward,†doing what he can to help others in need.

Thus was born the Gratitude Board, Zuerner’s collection of beautiful cutting boards. “As I make them, I am grateful for the gift of beauty from the trees that provide my raw material,†he says. “I am grateful for my ability to work and create, and I am grateful for the use that these boards will provide to others preparing meals for their families.â€

Large maple cutting board. Photos courtesy of Peter Zuerner

Extra-large “Holiday†walnut carving board.

He crafts each one from scraps of wood–maple, walnut, cherry and oak–left over from other projects, finishing them with mineral oil and beeswax for a lustrous finish.

For every board he sells, Zuerner gives $5 to the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society. In the future he plans to include other charities, and is happy to consider suggestions from people who buy the boards.

Kyle Hoepner, Editor-in-Chief
Not long ago, in a special focus on architecture and interiors trends, we noted the work Boston designer Rachel Reider has been doing for the Lark Hotels family of boutique properties. Not mentioned in that story, however, was the fact that two other members of the Lark leadership team–Adam Policky and Dawn Hagin–also create a line of custom lighting from their base in Portland, Maine. At Inspired Wire Studio the emphasis seems to be on marrying clean lines with texture, and this is accomplished using an assortment of notably tactile materials–woods, metals, glass, grasscloth, cork–both new and reclaimed.

The Eureka sconce; all photos by Rare Brick

The Solstice chandelier

The Whoa Mama! floor lamp

The Newport sconce