Melissa Fetter Founder of Beacon Hill Books Shares Her Favorite Things

Melissa Fetter looked around her new Beacon Hill neighborhood and had a revelation: there was no bookstore. The former finance executive, who grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, and earned her degree at Stanford University, relocated to Boston from Texas in 2019 when her husband joined the faculty at Harvard Business School. (The couple have two adult children.) Looking to right a wrong—Beacon Hill once had three bookstores—and foster a sense of creative community, Fetter called up renowned interior designer Cathy Kincaid, who had recently helped Fetter renovate her own home, and local architect Monika Zofia Pauli to reimagine a nineteenth-century townhouse on Charles Street as a five-story bibliophile’s dream. The mix was magic: Beacon Hill Books & Cafe just celebrated its third birthday, though Fetter says she regularly hears from visitors who are surprised to learn it hasn’t been there for decades. Fetter says that’s one of her favorite compliments. The entire space exudes storybook charm and boasts an ecstatic following. “Young people love the look,” Fetter says proudly. “It inspires them in the decoration of their own homes—they send me photos!” bhbooks.com

1. I have a collection of…blue-and-white porcelain that I’ve gathered from around the world. I’m always on the lookout for a new and interesting piece.

2. The best book I’ve read in the past year…is Bunker Hillby Nathaniel Philbrick. I may be a little late to the game, but I loved learning more about Boston—and it felt especially appropriate given the 250th anniversary of ourcountry this year.

3. When I need inspiration I…go outside! Whether it’s a walk through the Common or through the woods in Connecticut, I think best when I’m on my feet.

4. My favorite place to read…is in the fresh air.

5. Current books on my coffee table are The Well Adorned Home: Making Luxury Livable by Cathy Kincaid, Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden, and The Gardens of Bunny Mellon by Linda Holden.

6. Current books on my bedside table…are Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield, Whale Fall byElizabeth O’Connor, and Kingmaker by Sonia Purnell.

7. The last thing I bought and loved…is a set of beautiful porcelain flowers by the talented Samuel Mazy. I found them at a little shop in Paris, Le Cabinet de Porcelaine, tucked away in the 7th arrondissement.

8. A place that means a lot to me…is wherever I am with family. It’s more about the people than the place, and nothing beats being at home with them.

9. A podcast I’m listening to…is NPR’s Book of the Day.

10. The best gift I’ve received…is my puppy, Lily, a West Highland white terrier.

11. My favorite gift to give is…a book. I’m biased, but I truly believe there’s a perfect book for every occasion.

12. When I visit another city, I like to…walk every-where. It’s the best way to really get to know a city.

13. My design icons are…Bunny Mellon and Carolina Herrera.

14. The most meaningful advice I ever received…was to just go for it!

15. When I’m not at the bookstore, you might find me…in the boardroom of one of my favorite nonprofits—or traveling.

16. In another life I would have been…a landscape designer—but there’s still time, so who knows!