Rowayton Roots
Bicoastal interior designer Calla Cane has a studio in California and now, in Connecticut, establishing a design studio, showroom and boutique in her hometown of Rowayton. Opened last March, the space includes a workspace for design clients and a selection of artisanal home décor handpicked by Cane. Design services range from full interior renovations to design and furnishing consultations. The location also serves as a showroom for Prestige Cabinetry & Design, a line that Cane has partnered with on kitchen remodels. “My vision for the shop is to serve as a design hub that people will be inspired by,” says Cane. “Whether somebody is a client or not, I want them to feel comfortable dropping in to browse retail and have a discussion about style, aesthetics and vision. And for clients, our new location streamlines the design experience.”
Classic Modernity
Connecticut interior and product designer Linherr Hollingsworth has bestowed her signature style of classic modernity to a new collection with American-made Desiron. Pushing the boundaries of design and materiality, the six-piece assemblage—cocktail table, spot table, bench, two dining tables and dining chair—are crafted from sleek metals, specialty woods and lush upholstery by Desiron’s master artisans. “I have such a passion for working with materials, of which metal is one of my all-time favorites,” says Hollingsworth. “My goal was to take a more masculine material and transform it into a softer, more feminine, organic form. This partnership allowed me to infuse each piece with a distinctive blend of femininity and strength. Together, we’ve shaped a collection that not only enriches spaces but also evokes a sense of empowerment and inspiration.”
James Has Arrived
Representing coveted fabric, wallpaper, lighting, furniture and rug lines, James opened in New York City, expanding its footprint into the East Coast market. Owned by the husband-and-wife team of Meredith and Hunter Ellis, the James showroom houses a curated stable of talented craftspeople and vendors. Located in the Interior Arts Building, the new 4,000-square-foot space joins the company’s two other showrooms in Dallas and Houston. Meredith has recently launched her own textile collection and notes, “The new East Coast anchor for James at the Interior Arts Building in New York seemed meant to be. I started my career in this very building 25 years ago working for the legendary Bunny Williams, who today remains on the IAB’s fifth floor. Joining the IAB community brings my career full circle, and I feel very much at home in such good company. It is a perfect next step for the evolution of our brands with so many exciting things in the works!”
Mediterranean Muse
Baker introduced an imaginative collaboration with Paola Navone at the fall High Point Market. Working with the Italian architect and designer and her multidisciplinary design firm, Otto Studio, the 24-piece collection evokes informal European style with lower, modern profiles, soft lines and gentle shapes. “The pieces reflect our passion for craftsmanship and our taste for simple shapes inspired by the understated elegance of the Mediterranean lifestyle,” says Navone. “And that touch of divertissement—of fun and irony that makes everything a bit surprising—is never missing in our designs.” A selection of tables, sofas, lounger chairs and lighting are created in materials of cast bronze, acrylic, Murano glass and Carrara C marble. The upholstered pieces are dressed in the colors of the Mediterranean in performance fabrics or slipcovers for relaxed comfort. “We are so fortunate to join forces with an inimitable talent like Paola,” shares Erica Wingo, senior vice president of merchandising and marketing at Baker-McGuire. “She and her team bring a new style and fresh perspective to Baker’s offerings, with a welcome creativity that allowed us to design and develop unique European-style pieces that are at once contemporary and timeless.”
