The essence of what makes a house a home

From the editor ~ May/June 2025

Dear readers,

Welcome to our first “Home” issue! This spring we delved into the world of design—learning from local interior designers and getting a glimpse into their worlds of creation & curation—something, I think, we each do in our own ways, in our own spaces, however we style them.

My own apartment is a small but cozy 500-square-feet—I’ve been known to cal lit my “hermit shell” from time to time—and it’s full of things that I love: art in the form of framed pieces and taped up postcards; tchotchkes collected on various travels; books, lots of books; seashells and plant clippings; vintage ratan furniture that’s been in my family for ages; a wooden kitchen table my late grandfather once stained by hand; and side tables sourced at T.J. Maxx. In other words: it’s a reflection of me and my varied interests and the things that make me happy or put me at ease, especially after a long week or another crazy news cycle.

It’s also a work-in-progress: last year, on a trip to Spain, I returned with the perfect pair of mint-green espresso cups; this year, on a trip to Italy, I brought back a set of colorful placemats and two vibrant pillowcases—all items I’d been searching for and which immediately felt at home in my apartment. It was a reminder of how small things can transform a space, and that we curate our own collections over time, whether consciously or unconsciously, by design or otherwise.

This issue, in many ways, is an ode to the ways we style our spaces and the stories behind those choices. We feature three home design projects, the first of which was inspired by a family wanting to make room for future generations, the next by homeowners who wanted to transform an unused bedroom into a cozy-chic space for intimate gatherings, and the last a couple who decided to downsize and make a small house their year-round home. For each project, a different type of design guidance was sought to help the homeowners bring their visions to life. The results are as varied as they are vibrant.

Throughout these pages, we meet many local designers, among them Newport notables like Patti Watson of Taste Design and Ally Maloney of Maloney Interiors (who shared the photo pictured at top, showcasing various design elements gathered together). We also introduce some new additions to the scene: Tara Henriques and Tori Hill of the recently launched H&H Studio, and Galen Hass and her team at Haas Design, which opened an office on Memorial Boulevard last year (and who designed the Jamestown home project featured on our cover, shot by Maaike Bernstrom). We also honor the 100th birthday of Gustave White and look back at some of their high-profile sales over the years, which tell a story of the changing real estate market on Aquidneck Island. Last, but certainly not least, we visit Beaucoup Cafe & Maison for some style inspiration—from fragrance to glassware or your next colorful clutch—so even if you can’t renovate an entire room or hop on plane this season, you can add something new to your personal collection.

Until summer,

Helena

Managing Editor

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