Friday Favorites 12/7/2012

Karin Lidbeck Brent, Contributing Editor
Immediately upon walking into Peach Tree Designs in Yarmouthport, Massachusetts, I wanted to fall into this inviting Lee Industries chair, with its joyous “palm-green” print, and then spend the afternoon reading a good book. The unique pairing of this classic arm chair with bold foliage upholstery impressed me. It would make a provocative visual statement in a room with black painted walls.

As I continued to explore, this smart boutique full of home furnishings and stylish accessories turned my morning stop-off into a morning excursion. There’s much to see and to be inspired by in this unique shop. If you are in need of some home shopping inspiration, take a trip here soon!

Photo by Karin Lidbeck Brent

Paula M. Bodah, Senior Editor
Pernilla Frazier and Line Daems have a passion for textiles, and it’s all on display at their adorable Providence store, Kreatelier. The shop, with its bright collection of home goods, fashion and accessories, is so much fun to browse for its array of pillows, stuff to wear and artsy/functional pieces like bags and organizers, many made by local artists.

The real reason I like this place so much, though, has to do with Daems and Frazier’s other passion: recycling. Their behind-the-scenes business is reupholstering, and their philosophy of reusing and repurposing begins there. After they’ve finished making an old piece of furniture look like new, they use the leftover fabric scraps for other items, like purses or pillows. Crafty types who sew or quilt can buy remnants at a real steal. Other pieces might get used in the shop’s sewing classes and workshops for kids and adults. And if there’s still anything left, it gets donated to Recycling for Rhode Island, an organization that collects and distributes materials for learning and arts programs.

The storefront on Providence’s Hope Street. Photo by Erik Gould

Instead of buying a new chair, let Kreatelier turn that worn-out piece into something stunning, like this. Photograph courtesy of Kreatelier

A bright toss pillow makes a nice pick-me-up for a room. Photo courtesy of Kreatelier

Kyle Hoepner, Editor-in-Chief
As we head toward winter the Boston Design Center is already planning for spring–and it’s not a matter of next year’s colors or the debut of an outdoor furniture collection. The BDC just announced that they’ll be turning some 55,000 square feet atop their building into the world’s second largest open-air commercial roof farm.

The Boston Design Center roof in its current state. Photo courtesy of the Boston Design Center

Their partner in developing Boston’s first essay in high-altitude agriculture is Higher Ground Farm. Founding farmers John Stoddard and Courtney Bissonnette intend to grow a diverse selection of fruits and vegetables for sale to restaurants and the community. Best of all, according to BDC marketing manager Lauren Young, plans also include an on-site farm stand, likely to be located along the Drydock Avenue side of the building.

How the same roof will look next summer. Rendering courtesy of the Boston Design Center and Higher Ground Farm

So on a shopping excursion soon you’ll be able to pick up delicious raw materials outside the building for use in that kitchen you just ordered inside the building.