Two new stores in Connecticut are must-shop design destinations.
Eleish Van Breems
The Main Street building that once was The Remarkable Bookstore, a place beloved by business partners Rhonda Eleish and Edie Van Breems when they were girls growing up in Westport, just received a glow-up courtesy of the pair. A string of retail identities over the decades had taken a toll on the historic building, so, before christening it as the flagship location of Scandinavian-leaning Eleish Van Breems, they undertook a complete renovation. “We wanted to bring a mix of European elegance into a period American home, and it really works beautifully together,” Eleish says. Each of the six Eleish Van Breems locations offers a different mix—New Preston has more antiques, Nantucket is more coastal—but the Main Street Westport shop showcases the brand’s own line of furnishings and has a Fika bar where the Swedish tradition of a midmorning sweet and coffee is honored. Plus, in a nod to the boutique owners’ fond memories, the space has an extensive book section offering design and coffee table books—including the three titles the pair have written together on Swedish design. evbantiques.com
Anastasio Home
Trained as a sculptor, Gabriela Anastasio used her artistic background to found Anastasio Home, which produces lines of stone vases, trays, tables and other home accents. Originally, the company used a combination of an artisan workshop in India and scouts scouring the country for rare marble remnants to create pieces for the hospitality, wholesale and direct-to-consumer markets. And finally, in late 2024, Anastasio opened the brand’s first retail space. “Having a shop is a way for me to stand by the business in its truest form,” she says. “I’m inviting people into a vision that’s always been there, but I couldn’t really project it without a store.” Located in Canton, Connecticut, the boutique sells Anastasio Home’s richly colored stone pieces and has space for its founder to work with clients on custom marble creations. In addition to her own designs, Anastasio also mixes in vintage wares and upholstered furnishings by Four Hands and Eichholtz. “Sourcing a lot of antiques and vintage is a big part of our retail concept,” she shares. “We’re bringing thoughtful storytelling to heirloom home goods.”
