For this installment of our New Canaan holiday shopping series, we met on Sunday with Dominica Baharian, manager of The Glass House Design Store and the Visitor Center. The Design Store at 199 Elm St. is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday, and will be open those same hours Dec. 16 to 22.
Dominica Baharian: “I love this tea strainer, the Blad Leaf Tea Strainer ($45) designed by Eva Scheldt in Sweden. We carry a lot of her things. She’s a beautiful designer.” Photo credit: Michael Dinan
Here’s a transcription of our conversation.
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New Canaanite: It’s been about one week since Black Friday. How’s it going so far this shopping season?
Dominica Baharian: It’s going wonderfully. It’s great. The [Holiday] Stroll was nice. We had an event here that went really well.
Dominica Baharian: “This is a beautiful ‘frog’ that you could put three or four flowers in and have something lovely. This is called the Ang Pond Vase ($85). This grid is pleasing and beautiful to look at.” Photo credit: Michael Dinan
The Design Store is a little bit off the beaten path and you do these special hours just for holidays. What do you want to say to someone who hasn’t seen the shop before?
The Design Store is a very special place where you can find unique, design-centric objects for the house and home. But everything here is very carefully sourced and thought about, and there’s a design story really attached to everything. So all objects—bigger, small or thoughtful, beautifully designed, expertly manufactured—we feature artists, architects, and designers from all over the world. And here you can find very special things that you won’t find anywhere else at every price point. It’s all here to elevate and delight our daily routines. And the best part is that every purchase supports The Glass House. So you’re doing a good thing and getting a great thing.
Dominica Baharian: “The ‘Salvia Spoon Set’ ($65) is wood and stainless. Beautiful to the touch, beautifully weighted. They come in a set two and you’re able to hang them on the side of your bowl so you don’t have a mess.” Photo credit: Michael Dinan
What, if anything, have you felt here from the changes to the parking in the downtown?
I’m really happy to say that it’s worked out very well for us. We were concerned about it upfront. But it’s working out beautifully. We’re able to just have folks park in the Lumberyard Lot and come on tours. It’s been great.
New Canaan has so many terrific retail shops. What makes The Design Store stand out, in your view?
I would stress that every price point is covered here, but also we’re covering the gamut. I think people are sometimes a little intimidated by The Design Store because they think everything is pricey, if you will. However, that’s not the case.
the Glass House adds so much culture and beauty to New Canaan. Dominica has added such special finds to the Design Store and we appreciate that we don’t have to go into the city to find that unique gift we want to purchase. Thank you Dominica!