When I started on Instagram, I had no idea what I was doing. I began following a bunch of accounts with no rhyme or reason. I paid no attention to profiles or locations, I was simply attracted to pretty pictures.
I discovered Giardini di Sole and became obsessed with their gorgeous posts. I paused at every image and marveled at the color, brightness and interesting angles – kudos to their photographers. I’m pretty sure I now have a flatware fetish.
After countless stops and likes, I finally took the time to explore Giardini di Sole thoroughly and realized they are located in Boston. My immediate thought was that I must go there.
And last week I did! It was so satisfying to experience Giardini di Sole in person.
The very thing that drew me to Giardini di Sole on Instagram is what struck me when I walked into the store at 460 Harrison Avenue. It was the amazing color and uncluttered merchandising. Every plate, cup and saucer is perfectly placed to draw attention to its unique beauty and craftsmanship. The thoughtful presentation is so pleasing to the eye.
In store, I met with Libby Morris who shared the Giardini di Sole story… a partnership of four women with an affinity for Italian design and style. Read more about them here. Their shared passion resulted in showrooms in Boston, Vancouver and an office in Rome.
Libby describes the store as a gallery, showroom and retail space in one. It was the perfect description, as everything on display reads like a work of art. In addition to tableware, home décor and accessories, Giardini di Sole also offers jewelry, bath and body products and even glazed lavastone by Flowstone for counter and table tops. The Flowstone bright and bold colors were fabulous! And future brides and grooms will love Giardini di Sole’s registry service.
Thankfully I was joined by my friend, photographer Emily O’Brien, who captured the beautiful images in today’s post. Follow Emily on Instagram here for more of her great photos and here.
Thank you Libby and Emily for sharing in this fun collaboration.
The cool thing about visiting Giardini di Sole is that it exposed me to SoWa in Boston where I’d never been, but had heard many great things. The district is full of art galleries, retail shops and trendy restaurants. I cannot wait to go back for a SoWa First Friday or SoWa Open Market (Saturdays and Sundays starting April 29). At Open Market you can enjoy the galleries and shops as well as the Arts Market, Farmers Market, Food Truck Bazaar and Beer Garden.
Today, I throw back to a short piece I wrote for the spring issue of Merrimack Valley Home Magazine 2015. It was an homage to my favorite book, The Language of Flowers, by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. I enjoyed everything about that book and, mostly, its focus on flowers and the meaning behind them. I put together this page and l loved how the tulips dropped past the edge of the rustic table. The soft pink and peach tones of the bouquet were elegant and romantic. I liked their contrast to the earthy greenhouse where we shot this, at Mill City Grows in Lowell, MA.
A special shout out to photographer Meghan Moore and florist Joanne Fiore for making my version of the language of flowers come to life.
I am going to run out and get a bunch of tulips right now. It may still be chilly outside, but it is spring.
I love to shop – even more when a store has a variety of unique items. Helen ThomasSimply Smashing of Andover offers a fabulous selection of jewelry, whimsical gifts and a wide array of home decor items including custom order rugs and furnishings.
I’ve only recently come to know owner, Lisa Schiavone (no, her name is not Helen Thomas), and have been so impressed with her passion and commitment to the arts and community.
Who is Helen?
Helen Thomas first opened in Andover Center in October 2000.The store’s name is a combination of Lisa’s middle name, also her grandmother’s first name; Helen and her husband’s name; Thomas, although not necessarily his namesake. Lisa liked the ring of the two names together and so was born – Helen Thomas. Her catchy tagline, Simply Smashing, was the perfect description of everything Lisa hoped her gift and home decor store to be – simple, smashing and everything in between.
The charm of the store is unmistakable as is the regular presence of Lisa’s mom, Cookie Gollan. Customers might find Cookie working the front of the store or running art parties for children twice a month on what’s come to be known as Fun Fridays. In many ways, Helen Thomas is as much Cookie as it is Lisa.
The Store
Upon entering the store you are greeted by a colorful selection of unique gift items such as mittens, robes, art, jewelry, pillows, candles, mugs and more.
I could spend days poking around for just the right hostess gift, home decor accessory or just something fun for me. Here are some of my favorite gift and home decor finds from Helen Thomas Simply Smashing.
But more than merchandise, I like what Lisa is doing in addition to retail sales. She has turned Helen Thomas into an art resource, an interior design services connection, and an activity center for calligraphy, painting and jewelry making classes. This Andover shop also acts as a gathering place for ladies’ nights out, cookies and cocktails, book readings and even pajama parties when the store stays open until midnight- how fun is that?
Lisa happily custom coordinates in-store events just as she does many of her customized products.
Personalization is one of the countless reasons customers love shopping at Helen Thomas. Many of the gift and home decor items available can be made to order in any way the customer desires. Lisa DiAntonio of Green Park Studios sells her line of custom printed wall art and fabric printed pillows, aprons, table runners, hand towels and more through Helen Thomas. Her items can be custom created with anything the customer would like to see printed… favorite Christmas carols, a love poem, family names, etc.
Working with local artisans like Lisa DiAntonio has become the cornerstone of Helen Thomas. Formerly an artist’s representative, Lisa Schiavone values craftsmanship and artistry. She is committed to featuring more local artists like prolific painter Stephanie Mobbs Deady and Michele Boshar whose inspirational collage art is featured above, left.
With so much to offer at Helen Thomas, Lisa does not want the experience to be about buying alone. She is continually working with local charities to give back to the community. Just last week she held a Local Artist’s Night in support of Lazarus House Ministries in Lawrence.
Looking for something fun to do TONIGHT, 12/8/16?
Lisa is hosting a Sip and Shop from 6-8pm with a portion of proceeds going to Project Home Again. Bring in a new or gently used blanket and receive 20% off any blankets in store!
There are many ways to shop this holiday season, but consider purchasing your Christmas gifts at a local home decor and gift shop like Helen Thomas where special and simply smashing have a meaning all their own. Stop in any Thursday night before Christmas for holiday shopping parties – open until 9pm.
More to come in 2017
What can you expect to see from Helen Thomas in the future? To begin, more focus on interior design and home decor services. In addition to the Company C, Dash & Albert and Pine Cone Hill home products lines already available, Lisa will be working with local interior designers to bring you more of what you love for your home. The back of the store will be transformed into a design center while the front of the store will also be getting a fresh, new look with more of everything you know and love from Helen Thomas Simply Smashing.
You can shop Helen Thomas at the Andover location, below, and see more beautiful gifts, art and decor on Instagram.
Helen Thomas Simply Smashing, 90 Main Street, Andover, MA 01810, 978-475-7981
*This post is sponsored by Helen Thomas Simply Smashing with full support from 3 Olives & a Twist. Thank you for supporting the brands that help to support 3 Olives & a Twist.
Recently I decided to give Tony’s home office an update. His space is right off the kitchen and directly in line the sunroom; which, if you recall, was professionally designed back in June – see my post Sunroom Sanctuary.
Well, you know how it goes; the sunroom looked so fresh and nice, I suddenly began to feel Tony’s office looked drab and haphazard. I couldn’t stand to look in there when everything outside of the room was so bright and pulled together.
Well, with my design budget exhausted and my newfound distaste for Tony’s office décor, I decided to take on the facelift myself. A new rug, a cool map of the world wall hanging, a fun cowhide bench and some colorful new accessories added just enough life to the room to put me on a path to satisfied. The only thing missing was window treatments to tie it all together.
I knew this would be an important element of the room and while I might typically find something good enough at Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware, I decided to go the extra mile and investigate custom window treatments. I knew I wanted roman shades and I had already found a gorgeous Thibaut fabric that would go perfectly in the room. Now, I just needed someone to create them.
I popped into Distinctive Window Coverings in North Andover; a place I’d been by hundreds of times. I was with my youngest, Ally, and there we met Julie. Julie Sinopoli is the owner of Distinctive Window Coverings and an absolute doll. The moment we walked in, our positive customer experience began. Julie was helpful, but not overbearing. We talked through what I was thinking and she pointed out my options. She was incredibly friendly and easy to talk to. Conversation went well beyond window treatments. By the time we left, I figured Ally would be completely frustrated that we’d been in there so long. Not the case; in fact, she commented on how nice Julie was. This, coming from Ally, was indeed a compliment of major proportions. Ally said, “You should buy your shades from her.”
I agreed, not only because Ally said so and I was able get exactly what I wanted at a price I could afford, but because it felt great to give my business to someone who is committed to excellent customer service. Outside Distinctive Window Covering’s storefront, Julie came to my house for in-home consultations twice before I finalized my order. She guided me on whether my roman shades should have an inside or outside mount, on the lining that would work best with my selected fabric and whether I needed a coordinating valance to top my shades – something I was considering but decided against per Julie’s suggestion. On installation day, the gentlemen who hung my shades were prompt, quick and professional.
The experience was a very positive one. I am thrilled with Tony’s new office and the roman shades look fabulous. They operate flawlessly and give the room just the pop of pattern and color that I hoped they would.
I am happy to have discovered Distinctive Window Coverings – they are a good local business with good people. And while the high quality shades I received are what I was after; it was the exceptional customer experience that made the biggest impression.
No matter where you are, seek businesses that go beyond just selling you a product. Look for those who want and are willing to make a connection with you as a person, not just a customer. For me, that is what makes a good business, great.
I can’t believe I haven’t written about this sooner considering it has made me so happy. Over the summer, Linda Holt of Linda Holt Interiors redesigned my sunroom. I know Linda through our work together at Merrimack Valley Home magazine. Getting to know Linda has been a true pleasure. She’s a great person and designs thoughtfully with color, function and style. In fact, decorating with color is her signature.
I had never worked with a designer before, but asking Linda to take on my sunroom was a no-brainer because I fully trust her. That made all the difference to me.
My sunroom is a cozy space that I sit in every day. While I’ve always loved the room, I felt it looked drab and was a bit of a mishmash (scroll to bottom for before and after shots). I asked Linda to take a look and see what we could do.
The Inspiration
Linda and I had once done a photo shoot in a house that had a bold, blue settee in the breakfast nook. I wanted something like that for my sunroom – that was my inspiration. Linda asked questions and explored my thoughts on other areas of the house that flow into the sunroom. One of my favorite things I mentioned was the pottery wall in my dining room. Each piece has been collected from places like Greece, Italy, Nantucket, Puerto Rico or wherever my travels have taken me. I never realized this would be Linda’s inspiration nor did I realize that decorating with color should extend beyond the one room you are updating.
A Personalized Approach to Interior Design
When Linda laid out the plan, I loved everything she showed me. She explained that she had used the colors in my pottery wall to inspire the tones in the sunroom. Having listened closely to all I had shared in our first meeting, Linda also took all of my requests into account. In particular, I wanted to repurpose the two big rocking chairs that were once in my girls’ baby rooms.
She suggested a change of artwork in the kitchen to allow everything from the dining room pottery to “relate” to the colorful choices we were making in the sunroom. I had never considered this, which is why I was so thrilled to have Linda’s expertise. I began to understand that decorating with color from room to room should work together.
Now, all three spaces are connected visually and personally.
Linda’s personal approach has made such a difference in how my family enjoys this space. My girls’ rockers are so special to me; the dog-friendly fabrics on the couch and chairs are perfect choices with Oscar ruling the roost, and the unmistakable flow from one room to the next has taken my sunroom from ordinary to unique. I love it – this room is my happy place and I am so grateful to Linda for helping me bring it to life.
Dragonfly art by Hayley Mitchell available at Etsy
Summer Stones art by Rob Delamater available at Serena and Lily.
Painting of the little green chest, BCheeky; Blue Lucite Handles – Exxel Company
Lamps by Shades of Light (These lamps were not my first choice, but I deferred the decision to Linda – they get more positive comments than anything else in the room!)