The Summer House at 32 Forest Street has two new owners. Megan Freyer and Margaret M. Schwartz are twenty-somethings who were childhood friends in South Salem, New York. Now the gal pals have teamed up to run this home décor and design shop. They will offer a mix of antique, vintage and modern pieces. “We’ll also add a bold, downtown vibe and we’ll build up the selection of accent pieces,” says Schwartz. “We’ll have the things our customers might not think of for their home, because bringing in a statement piece is exciting and can help push you out of a design rut.” thesummerhouseonline.com
Just next door is Milestones, the specialty gift shop that recently relocated from 120 Main. The move to Forest Street, which is getting more and more foot traffic thanks to its popular open-air restaurants, prompted management to extend hours to 9 p.m. on weekends. Milestones also has its own parking lot across the street. You can leave the car and place an order for personalized stationery, then have dinner down the street while you wait for your package. mmilestones.net
A brand-new retail shop at 3 Forest Street is Sleepy’s, which opened its doors in the summer. The showroom has a big selection of bedding, mattresses and box frames. The next time you want to try out that famous Tempur-Pedic mattress, you won’t have to drive all the way to Norwalk to do so. sleepys.com
Donald A. Rich Antiques has moved from Burtis Street to a larger space at 114 Main. That’s good news for antique lovers, as Rich now has more space to display his fine collection of lovely 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century English and American furniture, paintings and accessories. Rich also offers professional consulting services for residential interior design. 203-966-5433
Also on the move is Pimlico, which relocated to 48 Elm. The new space is almost twice the size of the previous address, but it’s the soaring, fourteen-foot ceilings that make owners Melissa Lindsay and Jill Saunders very happy. “Now we can really show off our larger-scale pieces,” says Saunders. Pimlico offers a stylish mix of antique and contemporary furniture and accessories for the home and garden. Many pieces sold here are produced by local craftsmen, and because the new space is so expansive, you can better see them.
Down the street at 7 Elm, Skirtin Around set up shop in a larger space, having left its East Avenue digs. In addition to her line of fun and flirty clothing in bold colors and prints, owner Lisa Barfuss will now carry more handbags, jewelry and accessories, from sunglasses to scarves and gloves. She may even bring in a line of shoes, which is just what fashion divas around town have been asking for. skirtinaround.com
If you like to eat as much as you love to shop, head to 155 Elm, where Caroline’s Crêperie serves crêpes and traditional French fare, including croques monsieur. Almost everything is prepared on premises by owner Caroline Kaplan and her partners, Deda Sandor and Emma Villavicencio. carolinescreperie.com
Art lovers can amble over to 21 South Avenue, where New Canaan resident Heather Gaudio opened a gallery, Heather Gaudio Fine Art. Her first show, Paintings by Tula Telfair, runs through mid-November, to be followed by a group photography exhibit. Gaudio was a gallery director in Manhattan for twenty years before building a client base in Fairfield County. “My goal is to help people satisfy their design interests within their budget,” she says. “If a client doesn’t see what he wants here, I’ll source the art and bring it to him.” 203-801-9590
Tucker Murphy at the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce tells us there will be more new faces in town in the near future. Look for an Island Outfitter at 80 Main, and possibly a Norwalk Hospital clinic at 30 East Avenue.