On Tuesday, March 18, the home design duo of Rhonda Eleish and Edie Van Breems are opening their new flagship store in Westport, having restored an 18th-century sea captain’s trading post overlooking the Saugatuck River.
“We worked with local and European artisans, architects, carpenters and contractors who were each incredibly skilled, resulting in a team that understood not only our aesthetic but could use local materials and traditional building methods,” the pair said in a statement about the new Eleish Van Breems Home at 177 Main St. “From the start, it has been a dream project and true labor of love to restore the building.”
Eleish and Van Breems — whose Scandinavian aesthetic also plays out in three other Westport locations on Franklin Street and Railroad Place as well as in stores in New Preston, Connecticut, and Nantucket, Massachusetts — have cherished the building on Main Street since they were classmates at Greens Farms Academy in Westport and it was The Remarkable Bookstore.
“It was the 1970s and publishing was still king. Bookstores were quite the cultural mecca in town, especially the bubblegum pink The Remarkable Book Store. It was a sanctuary and a beloved playground for the bookish drama and dance students we were, as it was a true sanctuary for everyone else in town as well. (From) Parisian-style bookstalls in the courtyard to Heathcliff the resident cat, who slept in the store’s psychology section…we just loved it.”
Van Breems’ extended family had owned the property in the early 1950s, the pair added, bringing it full circle.
The courtyard they remember has been revamped with a stone fence from Van Breems’ Revolutionary-era farmhouse, while a 1930s floral gate by French iron master Edgar Brandt hints at what’s inside — French oak floors by The Hudson Co.; Italian bronze windows, doors, staircases, railings and a central vitrine by Astec Bronze; Louis Poulsen lighting; custom walnut and brass shelves by Amuneal; and wall coverings by mid-century master Josef Frank that harmonize with the building’s original, hand-hewn chestnut beams – to name just a few of the details.
There’s a garden on the third (top) floor designed as a floral aerie with a bird’s eye view of the Saugatuck River and downtown Westport. From there you can take the now enclosed exterior stairway to the lower level to savor Fika, the Swedish-style coffee break, in the new coffee bar and library of vintage and current design books for purchase.
In the coffee bar, flights of Swedish fancy are found in cabinetry the color of cardamon, a spice beloved by the Swedes, and in Tug Rice’s cartoon of Swedish botanist Carl Linneas enjoying a cup of coffee in one of the store’s pink and white mugs by Swedish potter Agneta Livijn. (Subtle touches of pink throughout nod to The Remarkable Bookstore.)
Fika is a pleasure Eleish and van Breems never fail to relish on design trips to Sweden, where they visit with Eleish’s family in Stockholm. Indeed, enjoyment is key to their design philosophy.
“At Eleish Van Breems we believe that design is more than just how things look but should evoke emotion and inspire joy,” Van Breems added, “and our hope is that this very special new Westport location promotes mindful and inspiring experiences for our guests and clients from which new design ideas can spring to life.”
