August Street Smarts: A quickie guide to a few shops in the heart of Wolfeboro
1. Interior Designer Julie Fergus never met a piece of furniture she could not reclaim with a few coats of white paint. At her shop, American Home Gallery at 49 Center St., she sells furniture and accessories perfect for a summer cottage or Shabby Chic décor. You will find vintage dressers and odd tables all reclaimed with paint and fresh hardware. Scattered throughout the shop are hand-painted signs, original paintings by local artists, folk art, lamps and a smattering of smaller antiques. Outdoors, find a selection of roomy birdhouses by Beth Crawford who assembles them from recycled wood and household hardware ($350 and up). Fergus runs her interior design business from the store and also has a unique Design-By-Mail (www.designbymail.com) offering, where she draws floor plans and makes recommendations and fabric selections based on a questionnaire downloaded from her Web site.
2. The centerpiece of the Kalled Gallery at 33 N. Main St. is Jennifer Kalled’s exquisite gold jewelry with precious and semi-precious stones artfully composed and exquisitely crafted. The organic-looking necklaces, bracelets and earrings are framed in a blend of 18 to 22k gold as the perfect personal accent. Shown here is a carved leaf agate drusy earring set with rose-gold plated drusy, accented with a pink tourmaline and fresh water pearls ($2,900). The cases and shelves are filled with work of 100 other artisans, including jewelers and ceramic artists. www.kalledjewelrystudio.com; (603) 569-3994
3. Butternuts Good Dishes at 12 Railroad Ave. is a new shop filled with colorful kitchenware and a few locally-produced foods. It was the intention of the three co-owners to produce gourmet-to-go foods in a kitchen on the premises, but they ran into a technical issue and are not able to get the operation going until next January. Meanwhile, they filled the space with all the latest beautifully designed kitchen gadgets of every hue and gourmet food items. Find Winnipesaukee Chocolate bars here along with beautiful stacking spice jars. The three-piece dip bowl above is $24.95. (603) 569-6869
4. At The Ribbon Studio, 13 Railroad Ave. you will find a fabulous selection of ribbons in every hue, stripe and dot — perfect for gift wrapping, scrapbooking or craft projects. In addition, co-owners Judy Sprague Sabanek and Cheryl Martin stock a smart selection of gifts for babies, brides or the home. From monogrammed towels to pillows embroidered with icons of the state you are sure to zero in a perfect gift and then dress it up with a flurry of ribbons. Their vast gallery of ribbons is also available for purchase online. (603) 569-9600; www.theribbonstudio.com
5. The Wolfeboro League of New Hampshire Craftsmen shop recently relocated to 15 N. Main St. Among other league artists find the timeless ceramic pots of Otto Heino. The California resident was a league member for more than 30 years, and was grandfathered into the organization. Heino is 90 years old and still producing beautiful pots with classic lines and interesting glazes. His yellow-glazed stoneware was a formula lost to the ages until he rediscovered it. His blue-and-white pots ($350) shown here have an Asian influence from a period of study in Japan. www.nhcrafts.org, (603) 569-3309
6. Let your pet share your Red Sox fever with his official jacket ($50) from Winni Paw Station, 27 S. Main St. Or perhaps Fifi would prefer some nice bling with a crystal-studded collar ($145) or maybe a two-piece bikini ($10.50 for each piece). Among the fun stuff owner Diane Tremblay stocks natural foods, healthy treats and safe toys for the caring pet owner. And who doesn’t care more about their pet than their spouse? (603) 569-1990
