Elegant contemporary jewelry, designer consigners, and an antiques road trip
-
Photograph by Ion Sokhos
ARTEFACT: 1000 Pleasant Street, Belmont, 617-993-3347, artefacthome.com Opening a home design store in a circa 1930 Dodge dealership might seem an unlikely undertaking for aesthetes with visions of raw linen upholstery, gilt-framed mirrors, and Peruvian ceramics. But design-minded sisters Maureen and Sue Walsh’s pairing at their shop, Artefact, is sublime. Off the beaten path among motor-related businesses and plenty of trees, the large space with 18-foot ceilings has the feel of a mid-century loft in a suburban landscape. Clusters of gorgeous lighting suspended above perfectly simple sofas and rough-hewn wood tables set with silver serving pieces present a subtle tableau for sophisticated homeowners who eschew the fussy and fancy.
-
BONOBOS: 283 Dartmouth Street, Boston, 857-263-7340, bonobos.com The Boston Bonobos showroom carries body-conscious menswear for the office, weekends, and dress occasions (e.g., slim-cut tuxedos). Clients are invited to try on samples for size before ordering their picks with the aid of a helpful personal shopper. Top local sellers include colorful narrow pants, patterned shirts, and American-made jeans.
-
photograph by dina rudick/globe staff/file
ENSEMBLE: 62 Salem Street, Boston, 617-455-8711, ensembleboston.com Retail veteran Wendy Lepore’s charming North End shop blends vintage, consigned, and new clothes, jewelry ...
-
photograph by dina rudick/globe staff/file
... and home accents.
-
photograph by dina rudick/globe staff/file
If you hit it right, you just might snag a gently priced Chanel or Cesare Paciotti bag, a sexy DVF cocktail dress, or a 1960s fox-trim coat at Ensemble. Look, too, for dainty leather gloves and nylon knee-highs in daring prints.
-
Photograph by Ion Sokhos
LOCAL ROOT: 221 Concord Avenue, Cambridge, 617-354-2400, localroot.com Observatory Hill home furnishings shop Didrik’s expanded this fall, opening a dedicated kitchen store just up the street. The space looks very right right now, marrying well-worn pine floors, white bead-board walls, and industrial-style pendant lights. Impeccably chosen products include copper and stainless cookware from Mauviel, Rosle chef’s tools, and a range of high-end knives. Plus, there’s an in-house sharpening service.
-
photograph by Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff/file
NEW BALANCE: 583 Boylston Street, Boston, 617-266-1583, newbalance.com Maybe it’s no Niketown, but this is also not your father’s New Balance. In recent years, the brand has developed street cred with a constant flow of exclusive one-and-done collections, as well as mod color combos in its running and lifestyle classics. (They’re hip enough for Barneys.)
-
photograph by Essdras M Suarez/globe staff/file
VIRA: 107 Charles Street, Boston, 617-367-0305, facebook.com/viraboutique Longtime friends Radhika Rana and Vivek Patel have made great use of their Fashion Institute of Technology educations, filling their Charles Street boutique Vira with many new-to-the-area women’s international lines from France, Denmark, Australia, and Singapore. The taste level is high, but the prices reasonable for what you get: luxurious fabrics, bold trim, and dramatic silhouettes. Statement-making exotic jewelry is also plentiful.
