Hey Rhody Home April 2023

Photo by Erin Little Photography, courtesy of Moore House Design

News & Life

12 RHODY PETS: Three adoptable pets of the month

14 Vinyl lovers young and old flock to local record stores this month

18 RHODY GEM: Primitive decor and antiques in a Mapleville barn

Home & Style

22 HOME: A Providence multi-family house is strategically reimagined for space

30 ENTERTAINING: RI sellers have all the fixings for hosting a mimosa party

34 FIELD TRIP : Charlestown furnishings store is a hub for the design-minded

Food & Drink

56 EXPERIENCE: Elevated brunch at a family-owned Edgewood cafe

58 RECIPE: Swap steak for squash in a veggie dish with local ingredients

60 Level up any spring fling with festive sweets from statewide bakeshops

62 IN THE KITCHEN: A Netflix chef’s Cranston roots

Art & Culture

66 The founder of Smithfield’s booming live edge furnishings biz

68 RHODY READS: Six picks with local ties to expand your home library

70 Behind the seams at a braided rug factory in Lincoln

72 CALENDAR: This month’s must-do’s

73 #HEYRHODYPHOTOS : A colorful mosaic from our talented followers via Instagram

On

Photo by Erin Little Photography, courtesy of Moore House Design.

Photos by Christian Scully of Design Imaging Studios, courtesy of David Sisson Architecture PC

Photo by Elyse Major

Photo courtesy of All Favorites Cafe

Thank You!

PRESENTED BY Bryant University

Thanks to your support, the 26th annual Women’s Summit continued the tradition of empowering, supporting, and encouraging women to excel professionally, personally, and financially. Thank you to our esteemed speakers and all who attended for your participation and perspective.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR LOYAL AND VALUED SPONSORS

Platinum Sponsor: Amica Insurance

Diamond Sponsors: Bank of America, Fidelity Investments

Gold Sponsor: PwC

Silver Sponsors: BankRI, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Brown Medicine, FM Global, Hasbro, IGT, Navigant Credit Union, Providence Journal, TIAA, The TJX Companies Inc., Washington Trust

Bronze Sponsors: AAA Northeast, BankNewport, BD, Bristol County Savings Bank, Centerville Bank, Dassault Systemes, Diego’s Newport, EY, Gilbane Building Company, Hope Global, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., JF Moran, Marcum, LLP, Meeting Street, Ocean State Job Lot, Providence College, Robinson+Cole, Sodexo, Target, The Beacon Mutual Insurance Co., The Women’s Advisory Group

Media Sponsors: Providence Business News, Providence Media, Rhode Island Monthly, WSBE RI PBS

Other Supporters: Residential Properties

Women’s Summit® is a registered trademark of Bryant University.

SALLY HELGESEN Premier expert on women’s leadership, internationally bestselling author, and speaker.

DR. DARRIA LONG Harvard and Yale trained Emergency physician, national television contributor, and TEDx speaker.

KATHLEEN C. OROVITZ ‘04 CEO, Navigant Credit Union Kati Machtley Woman of the Year awardee.

BEVERLY JOHNSON First African-American supermodel. Founder, Chairwoman, and CEO of Beverly Johnson Enterprises, LLC. Sponsor list as of March 1, 2023.

SPRING INTO LOVE

Dear Readers,

I can practically trace the milestones of my life in magazines. From Dynamite (shoutout to Gen Xers) to Seventeen to Sassy ; Entertainment Weekly , Pro v idence Monthly , and Allure . Next came Brides , Martha Stewart Baby , Martha Stewart Kids , and then Country Living and Better Homes & Gardens , among countless others. My publishing career began as a contributor to national shelter and making magazines, writing about homes and crafts, so landing my gig here continues to be a dream come true – planning the Annual Home issue and having the opportunity to pen this page is the cherry on top.

This magazine is a keeper – filled with ideas that are bound to have you folding (or dog-earring) pages. Our cover story “Back to the Future” focuses on the sensibilities of Blair Moore, a nationally recognized designer as seen on the Magnolia network based part-time in Warren. Along with her family business, she returned many architectural features to a century-old home that had been removed through various “updates” over the years. Paint colors and shop sources are included, so kids, you can try this at home!

To welcome spring, you’ll find everything from tips on planting edible perennial trees

to where to find the most delicious desserts to serve at this month’s holiday gatherings. Be inspired by blooming daffodils to host a mimosa bar – and also know exactly where to find millions of the fragrant blooms via April’s Must List.

In this issue we also shine a spotlight on things you might not realize are made right here, like braided rugs sold by national retailers from Lincoln, or that New England’s largest live edge furniture maker is in Smithfield. Also discover cool new shops in Bristol and Charlestown, and a Rhody Gem worth a country drive for antiques and farmhouse accents.

Magazines and social media have a symbiotic relationship and sharing is caring! Post photos holding current copies using #heyrhodyphotos to show your support for a chance to be featured on our feeds or maybe even an upcoming issue.

Happy spring!

Editor In Chief Elyse Major

Showing the March issue in her Smithfield home

NEWS & LIFE

A North Smithfield nursery cultivating beach plum trees and more

Photo courtesy of Nuts & Bolts Nursery

Gardening for Good

At a North Smithfield co-op, perennial plants and a punk ethos pave the way for an equitable food system

By Abbie Lahmers

Agroup of gardeners in North Smithfield propose a radical solution to building a more sustainable world: grow perennial plants – and have fun sinking your hands in the dirt while doing it. Of course, there’s a few more steps to fixing climate change than that, but Nuts & Bolts Nursery Co-op begins with the roots of our built ecosystems by

FIND YOUR GREEN THUMB

Here’s a few tips from the field for getting started growing sustainably in your own ecosystem. For more events and inspo, follow @nutsandboltsnursery or visit NutsAndBoltsNursery.com.

FARM FRESH

Visit farmers markets, and “get to know your local farmers,” says Burbridge. “Our food system is systematically built to separate farmers from the people eating their food. If you make a really awesome meal from food that a farmer sold you, tell them about it and how much you appreciate them.”

INDIGENOUS INSIGHT

“Listen and support local Indigenous voices. Visit the Tomaquag Museum in Exeter. Read books by Indigenous authors. Every year, a new study comes out that validates Indigenous land practices as what we need to be doing to save our planet.”

ASK YOUR BOTANIST

When starting from seed, seek advice from your friendly Nuts & Bolts worker-owner or local shopkeeper. “The details are often more involved than what is written on a seed packet. Most spring seeds you should be starting now.”

empowering even the most horticulturally timid citizens to fill their yards with fruit and nut trees and food-bearing plants.

“We want people to feel that there is magic in the soil beneath their feet, wonders coursing through the old gnarled bark of an oak tree. We want people to experience the myth that is in an unforgettable apple pie, baked from apples in their own backyard,” says worker-owner Connor Burbridge of their deceptively simple mission. In their second growing season this spring, the cooperatively owned queer-led nursery envisions a more democratic and decentralized food system beginning with edible

EARTH DAY TOUR DATES

APRIL 1-2: Bloom Flower and Garden Market, WaterFire Arts Center, Providence

APRIL 15: Round the Bend Market Open Farm Day, Dartmouth, MA

APRIL 19: RIC Earth Day Event, Providence

APRIL 22: Farm Fresh Earth Day Market, Providence

perennial plants grown in backyards.

This month, Nuts & Bolts is taking the nursery on the road with an Earth Day Plant Tour. “We were always inspired by the DIY ethos of punk bands and how, with little resources, they travel all over, sharing their music and their creations with people. And in a funny way, farms can be very punk,” explains Burbridge of farmers traveling the market circuit to sell their goods. Instead of deep cuts, the nursery is sharing the magic of perennials.

Defined as plants (like trees) that continue growing year after year, Burbridge explains, “A little secret is that perennials are the

Amanda Anglemyer gives a garden tour

easiest types of plants to grow. Perennials are actually the best plant for lazy gardeners, or just for folks with not a lot of time on their hands.” Once they’re in the ground, maintenance is minimal. “Young trees require a little more care and a closer eye, but after a few seasons, they are well established and will take off on their own.”

Along with being easy, incorporating perennials in landscaping creates opportunities to rethink our ecosystem – whether suburban yard or urban greenspace – to move away from a fossil fuel-driven world.

“Edible trees and perennials develop really deep root systems, where they take carbon from the air and store it in the soil. So in a small way, everyone that has space to garden can help slow down climate change and actually pull carbon from the air through perennial plants,” says Burbridge. “Of course, solar panels and windmills and new technology will be important, but edible trees and plants give people the direct tools and practices to reshape the ecology of where they live for the better.”

If the prospect of growing trees, or even smaller perennials like sea kale and beach plum, is intimidating, Burbridge offers this advice: “don’t be afraid of failure.” Even if new plants don’t survive the season, “the important thing is to try, to learn from your mistakes, to have fun experimenting, and, most importantly, to build an intimate connection to the earth.”

“We see helping people grow plants as a way to re-enchant the world, empowering people to grow, get their hands in the dirt, start tinkering with the nuts and bolts of building a more sustainable and just world – right in their own backyards,” Burbridge continues. “We can, once again, find the power to decide collectively what our fate on this earth will be.”

Rhody Pets of the Month

By Karen Kalunian

Looking to welcome a new furry friend into your home? Adopt, don’t shop! Shelters around the state have dogs and cats ready to find their forever homes. Here are three pets ready to meet you, or reach out to the shelters to learn about even more adoptees.

If you have been thinking of adopting or if you know of an animal in need, please contact Karen directly at animaltalk1920@gmail.com.

ELVIS

With looks and charm that match his namesake, this handsome six-year-old feline was found outside fending for himself before he came to Scruffy Paws, where he’s since been treated like the king that he is. Elvis has a gorgeous grayand-white coat and dazzling light green eyes. He’s ready to win over a human companion with his good looks and loyalty and is best suited for an adult-only home with cat experience.

Scruffy Paws

Warwick ScruffyPawsAnimalRescue.org

LOVER

BOY

This three-year-old pup is auditioning to be the leading man in your life! He’s got it all: good looks, great temperament, and a huge heart. Lover Boy is playful and would love a big fenced-in yard and an active family to keep up with his big energy. All all-around good boy, this brown-eyed stunner dreams of waking up in a fun-loving forever home.

Potter League for Animals

87 Oliphant Lane, Middletown 846-8276 • PotterLeague.org

Photo courtesy of Scruffy Paws

Elvis Lover Boy

Photo courtesy of Potter League for Animals

You might say Tesla’s personality is electric! With a wide smile, bright eyes, and fluffy white coat, this five-year-old girl would be the perfect match for big dog fans. She’s a Great Pyrenese mix who loves people, prefers a large fenced-in yard to roll around in the grass (or in the snow when it returns!), and would like to be your one and only princess.

Rhode Home Rescue Processors@rhodehomerescue.org

RhodeHomeRescue.org

TESLA

Photo courtesy of Rhode Home Rescue

Tesla

April is for Analog Lovers

Annual event features limited releases for vinyl fans of all ages

By Ken Abrams

The fourth Saturday in April is the most wonderful time of the year –for record collectors, that is. Not only is April 22 Earth Day but also Record Store Day (RSD), an annual event for fans of vinyl who hope to find limited releases and more at their local record shop. It’s a day when serious collectors rub shoulders with first-time buyers (thank you Taylor Swift) lining up outside stores for the chance to pick up

the latest release from their favorite artist.

“When Record Store Day started, there was a lot of doom and gloom around record stores,” says Carl Mello, director of brand engagement at Newbury Comics, a Boston-based chain with two Rhode Island stores, in Providence and Warwick. “Everyone was suffering with file sharing and illegal downloading in the early 2000s. Stores were closing left and right; a lot of the big chains went away,

followed by the little stores… things were in pretty bad shape.”

The industry responded with what was initially seen as a gimmick, an effort to get customers into stores. “We thought, let’s build a few exclusive titles and see if that gets people to come to the stores,” says Mello. “Each year it’s kind of gone from strength to strength. It’s been transformational for people who sell records, which is not what it set out to do.”

In

Your Ear

LOCAL STORES PARTICIPATING IN RECORD STORE DAY

Armageddon Shop, Providence

Newbury Comics, Providence

Newbury Comics, Warwick

Olympic Records, Providence

Kangaroo CD's & Tapes, North Providence

In Your Ear, Warren

Vinyl Guru Record Shop, Newport

Looney Tunes, Wakefield

Hundreds of titles are released on RSD, most of them one-time pressings. Many sell out fast and show up on the secondary market before the day is over. The albums range from classic rock acts like Paul McCartney, The Doors, and Carole King to more contemporary bands like The Magnetic Fields and The 1975. In fact, RI natives The Cowsills are releasing their new album The Rhythm of the World on RSD this year.

In the early years, there were only a couple of dozen releases, a number that has increased

Olympic Records

dramatically. According to Mello, what set the ball in motion was Metallica. “They were very early in signing on to RSD. They did an in-store performance at an indie record store in San Francisco, Rasputin, that was a really big deal.” Soon, classic rock artists like The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and The Beatles were releasing albums as well.

Although the vinyl industry has grown steadily in recent years, it took the pandemic to spark an even greater interest. “When

Phtoo by Savannah Barkley

the pandemic hit, everybody in the world decided that they wanted to start buying vinyl,” laughs Mello. “Our sales went through the roof. Before, we were selling maybe 10 percent more each year. All of the sudden, we’re selling over 100 percent more annually. In 2020 and 2021, vinyl sales nationally were up over 50 percent, although things have cooled since,” he adds.

One highlight this year promises to break all RSD records: “A ‘not so limited’ Taylor Swift

album, which by far, will be the biggest release that’s ever come out on Record Store Day,” says Mello. “Taylor Swift saying ‘I validate Record Store Day’ is just another example of what Metallica was thinking. I love the encouragement of younger customers coming out!”

If you’re planning to line up on April 22, remember to get there early – and that not all titles will be available at all locations, but you’ll certainly find something you love.

RecordStoreDay.com

Village Barn Country Store and Antiques

Rustic decor and gifts

What it is:

A family-owned country store selling antiques, handmade goods, kitchenware, gifts, and more.

Where to find it:

Tucked into a mostly residential part of Victory Highway in the Maplewood village of Burrillville, look for a brick-red barn.

What makes it a Rhody Gem?

If you enjoy happening upon country stores filled with room after room of quaint primitive, antique, and handmade goods, the Village Barn is a must. Throughout the shop, for-sale light fixtures cast a welcoming cozy glow; braided rugs are underfoot, and cubbies, shelves, and table tops showcase ideas of how to display accents at home. Whether you are looking to acquire a sturdy piece of antique furniture or add knick knacks to your collection, there is something for everyone here. Owners Kevin and Kathy Brand decorate the shop seasonally and it’s currently festooned with floral garlands, fairy lights, and baskets and bins of faux blooms ushering in springtime. Pro-tip: grab a baked good for the ride home at Mapleville Farm, just a two-minute drive south.

Village Barn Country Store

953 Victory Highway, Mapleville

VillageBarnCountryStoreAndAntiques.com

Every neighborhood has that secret, hidden, cool and unusual, or hole-in-the-wall spot that locals love. We’re on the hunt for Rhody Gems! Email Elyse@ProvidenceOnline.com to suggest yours and we just might feature it!

P hoto by Shay Costa

At Atlantic Audiology, Inc. we understand that each patient is unique. Your hearing loss is unique as well. Our goal is to implement a personalized treatment plan to help you hear what you’ve been missing.

Photo by Christian Scully of Design Imaging Studios, courtesy of David Sisson Architecture PC

New Heights

An East Side three-family gets reimagined with a reverse living space and cathedral ceilings

By Elyse Major

New England is filled with multi-family homes, better known as “three-families.”

If you’re reading this article, there’s a chance you’ve lived in one. The narrow floor plan generally includes a front entrance leading to two large main rooms segmented by a wide door frame; a kitchen with a back entrance and pantry, one bathroom, three bedrooms, and sometimes, exits to railed porches. Third floors generally have high ceilings and all levels are lined with windows. Original features like built-in cabinets and barely any closets are typical. What these homes lack in amenities they make up for with space, sunlight, and character.

When a family with young children living in Atlanta was planning their return to Providence, they planned to make some modifications to a three-family property they’d owned for years and kept as a rental on the East Side. “They wanted to convert it into a two-family home that would be their residence,” explains David Sisson, principal architect at David Sisson Architecture, PC in East Providence. At first, Sisson tried to convince his clients that they didn’t want to lose a unit, but they were insistent. “We began to dig deeper into their needs and wants, and I did come around to their point of view.”

ABOVE : A bird’s eye view from the fourthfloor mezzanine

Photo by Christian Scully of Design Imaging Studios, courtesy of David Sisson Architecture PC

Girls Summer Leadership Camps

Developing

Week one: July 24-28

Week two: July 31-Aug 4

Lincoln School

Providence

Registration online: www.girlsleadershipcollaborative.com

What the couple wanted was the East Side experience and walkable life, but they were not finding a single-family home that met their needs. “Of course, they already owned this one,” says Sisson, who describes the home as being in rough shape, which he notes is “fairly typical of a rental.” Sizing up the property, Sisson realized that the footprint was a bit wider and taller than most three-families, boasting almost a fourth level with dimensions in both width and depth that could allow for a very luxurious layout.

The master bedroom is at the front of the house, taking advantage of the bay windows

Photos by Christian Scully of Design Imaging Studios, courtesy of David Sisson Architecture PC

RIGHT : No need to trek to the basement – a second-floor back room is now a mud/ laundry room

Slanted ceilings make for a cozy mezzanine workspace; the glass panel keeps things airy

The home was reimagined and the first floor was kept as an income-producing rental. The layout for the owner’s suite was inverted, placing the public and domestic functions on the third floor and reserving the second floor for bedrooms. The third floor had an attic which was partially

opened to create a cathedral ceiling over the living, dining, and kitchen areas, and Sisson and team also managed a small area on a “fourth” floor, which the parents use as an office, overlooking the kitchen and living rooms. Says Sisson, “this house offered some extraordinary opportunities!”

Photo by Christian Scully of Design Imaging Studios, courtesy of David Sisson Architecture

Get Rhody Style

Ideas and resources for making the most of living in the Ocean State.

Sisson Says

Double and triple deckers were invented in New England in the 19th century to meet the housing needs of a rapidly growing population. Today, these houses are found all over cities like Providence, Boston, and their bedroom communities. Though their interiors are out of date, these houses can be renovated to offer a great opportunity for prospective homeowners to break into today’s tight real estate market.

Rhody Resources

David Sisson Architecture is a full-service professional architecture firm based in East Providence providing both commercial architecture and residential architecture services. Sisson himself is available for institutional architectural design, assisted living design, new construction and remodeling, and office and retail interior design. Kevin LeBlanc of RWL General Contracting served as contractor for this project.

Photos by Christian Scully of Design Imaging Studios, courtesy of David Sisson Architecture PC

Boutique vibes in the master bath

Spring is the season of new beginnings and a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be. The days are welcomed with the sound of birds chirping, the aroma of bulb flowers, and the feeling of renewal provided by the warmth of the sun. As the late actor Robin Williams once said, “it’s nature’s way of saying ‘let’s party!’” Taking that cue, we’ve sourced the state to assemble a soiree that packs a pastel punch.

MIX MASTER

Graze on Main is a small charcuterie and wine shop located in the heart of East Greenwich where you can find multiple types of organic bubbly, including a non-alcoholic option. For a well-balanced mimosa, professional grazer Elyse Paré recommends mixing two parts prosecco with one part juice and top off with the cold-pressed juice of your preference from Fully Rooted. Beyond traditional orange juice, consider Echinacea Sunrise, a unique option with a gorgeous garnet hue; with hints of orange, cucumber, pineapple, beets, and house-made echinacea extract, the blend complements the prosecco wonderfully. Pro-tip: on average, one bottle of bubbly can make six to eight mimosas. Know your audience, and plan accordingly!

Host a Spring Fling

From East Greenwich to Exeter, local businesses have everything you need to celebrate the season with a pretty mimosa bar

By Kayla Aucoin

RHODY RESOURCES

AUCOIN

Design, Photography + Tabletop

Featured Products: Wine charms and cocktail napkins

BLOOM SERVICE

Spring pastels can be sweet or sophisticated depending on what you include in your display; use rustic elements and metallic finishes to veer toward the elegant. A bouquet of billowing sweetpeas, textured tulips, and petal pink roses designed by Plant Girl Shop adds a natural element to the setting. Visit the shop in East Greenwich, place an order, or subscribe to one of their flower subscriptions to keep fresh blooms around all year long.

TIP: Fill empty nooks and crannies in your display with fresh fruit

LEVEL UP

Welcome guests to the mimosa bar by affixing a wreath to the wall; self-adhesive wall hooks keep things simple. Have fun with glassware, which also adds height and dimension – lustrous options from Homestyle on Providence’s Westminster Street sparkle soft reflections and tie all of the pieces together.

PRINTS CHARMING

A fun way to interact with your guests is by having them choose a wine charm for their glass. The Bees + Blooms Collection from AUCOIN offers hand-detailed wine charms and illustrated cocktail napkins with dainty bees, butterflies, and charming floral designs.

North Kingstown | @aucoindesigns

FULLY ROOTED

Featured Products: Cold-pressed juices

Pawtucket | @fullyrootedjuice

GRAZE ON MAIN

Featured Products: Zioba a Prosecco, Rivarose Brut Prestige, and TÖST alcohol-free rosé

East Greenwich | @grazeonmaineg

HOMESTYLE

Featured Products: Mid-century lustered coupe glasses, and Monti-Birra Sempli glass set

Providence | @homestyleri

PLANT GIRL SHOP

Featured Product: Spring bouquet

East Greenwich | @plant.girl.shop

SOUTH COUNTY COMPANY

Featured Product: Spring floral wreath

Exeter | @southcountycompany

A neutral vase lets flowers and fruit take center stage

Photography and styling by Kayla Aucoin courtesy of AUCOIN

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Sustainable Style

Bristol’s Fenwick & Oliver is a must for unique and handmade home furnishings

By Callie Bisset

On a chilly stroll through Bristol, an enticing window display beckons passersby to enter the stylish and cozy Fenwick & Oliver. Located on Thames Street across from Independence Park, the storefront is the side hustle turned livelihood of Lisa Newcity and her partner Don Ruest. It all began during the pandemic when Ruest turned to woodworking as a pastime. Encouraged by Newcity, he began showing his

pieces at community markets like the Providence Flea and Field of Artisans with much success, and the couple soon pondered the potential of turning the hobby into something more.

When a space in Bristol became available, Newcity and Ruest decided to take the leap into retail. Legend has it that the building was pushed across the bay in the 1930s, and while it needed a lot of work, the couple embraced the history and architectural details,

which complement their sophisticated yet approachable vibe. Ruest cleaned up the wood beam ceilings, which adds to the rustic charm and mission of sustainability.

In his work, Ruest utilizes reclaimed and salvaged wood, “basically trash,” he explains with a chuckle, and upcycles vintage finds. He has a small workshop in the back of the store and a larger one at the couple’s home a few blocks away. Some of his pieces include cutting boards,

Photos by Rely on Rach Photography, courtesy of Fenwick and Oliver

A rustic wall shelf is styled to entertain ideas

wall art, and side tables. He also fulfills custom orders and offers engraved Rhode Island-themed gifts such as wall-mounted bottle openers.

Fenwick & Oliver also gave Newcity the physical space to develop her talents as a decorator. A simple glance around the store reveals that she is a natural at pairing textures to create luxurious and inviting spaces. Newcity has no formal training in interior design but possesses an innate talent that flourished as she

helped Ruest set up for shows. “My favorite part would be setting up the booth,” she says. Now she has an entire store, which she styles in zones to help customers envision how things would look in their own homes.

In addition to Ruest’s handiwork, the shop carries lines by East Bay makers like Sakonnet Candles and Jorge Amado Ceramics. “We value commitment to handcrafted whenever possible as well as eco-friendly and fair trade products.

So far, we’ve had a great response from the local community,” Newcity shares. “Our neighboring small business owners and retailers have been incredibly supportive and we’ve heard some nice feedback from people visiting the store.”

Fenwick & Oliver

474 Thames Street, Bristol Fenwick-Olivery.MyShopify.com

@fenwick.and.oliver

Assorted wood kitchen utensils

Material Matters

Charlestown’s Refind Modern fills a need for design-mind shoppers

By Faye Pantazopoulos

Actress and furniture lover Julianne Moore once said, “If I had to choose between clothes and furniture, I’d choose furniture.”

If you share that love, particularly of mid-century modern pieces as well as eclectic, curated art, tableware, and other unique objects, a visit to Refind Modern in Charlestown is a must. Here you’ll find stunning pieces such as a 1967 rosewood Eames chair and ottoman, a pair of rosewood case sofas by Milo Baughman, and a very rare, long rosewood credenza by Swiss architect Dieter Waeckerlin, mixed with items like whales carved from large pieces of driftwood, the handiwork of artist and the store’s co-owner Seth Gross.

Gross and business partner Colin Kelly were formerly the sole partners at Verdigris Antiques.

Things were going well until Kelly was offered a job as director of operations at start-up Mochi ice cream. He took the job and moved to New York City. Gross, overwhelmed by running Verdigris alone (as well as a rental property and wedding business), coupled with rent increases, decided to close up shop. During the pandemic, Kelly returned to South County, realizing he preferred working with antiques to sitting at a desk from nine to five every day, and the two decided to go back into business together.

When searching for a space, looking as far south as possible was the initial plan – perhaps Westerly, Watch Hill, even Pawcatuck, CT – to be right off the highway, near tourist destinations, and closer to New York City. However, when a spot in Charlestown opened up, they jumped on

it, and Refind Modern was born. When asked about the location pivot, Kelly responds “there are so many people that made a mass exodus from NY to little South County during the pandemic, and we have a better customer base at this location because people intentionally come here, whereas in Wakefield, being on Main Street we got a lot of browsers. Here we make more sales.”

Do Gross and Kelly consider themselves makers, pickers, or curators? “We’re kind of everything combined,” says Kelly. “We are mostly pickers and curators. But Seth is very artistic. He has an interior architecture background.” Gross’ hand-carved whales are a big hit. His ex-girlfriend who owned Ramblin’ Rose Antiques (now closed) encouraged Gross and displayed his first piece at her shop. It was not for sale, but so many

Photo courtesy of Refind Modern

Handmade mixes with high-end finds

people asked if it was, that he made more. To date, his work has been displayed at galleries in Nantucket and Maine.

“My vision for Refind Modern would be to become a staple in the community and show what Charlestown can be. I hope that it will lead to inspiring other young people to start cool businesses here,” Kelly says. “We have a very interesting and diverse customer base: young couples, first-time home buyers, older people, designers, and even some celebrities that I won’t and can’t name. There’s a lot of cool locals that are design-minded, but also New Yorkers that have relocated here either full or part time. You would be surprised who finds their way into this shop.”

5680 Post Road, Charlestown

A COMPLIMENTARY SEMINAR TO INSPIRE YOUR UPCOMING REMODEL

Saturday, April 22nd | 9:30-10:30AM

Earth Day: An Eco-Friendly Approach to Your Design

Register now at RIKB.com or email us at info@RIKB.com to schedule your complimentary design consultation.

401-463-1550

139 Jefferson Blvd, Warwick

771 Hope Street, Providence • 331-4100

Alicia and Nick Donadio have a unique business – their Service blows mulch into garden beds, saving homeowners and landscapers countless hours of work. We recently caught up with Alicia to learn more about their innovative mulch service.

How does blown-in mulch work?

We deliver and install the mulch without it ever touching your driveway. The operator uses a remote control that allows materials to be precisely applied. It is very uniform and creates an even application. Having the mulch blown in saves time, and a lot of hard work.

How long does a typical mulch installation take with this service?

It really depends on the layout and size of the beds. A 10-20 yard job can typically be completed in about an hour.

What types of properties do you service?

We service both commercial and residential properties throughout Rhode Island with a 10 yard minimum.

What kinds of products and other services do you provide? We install mulch, playground chips and errosion controls like silt sock.

What do you say to skeptics?

Give us your most difficult job, the one you dread doing every year. Once they see us pull that off, we have that customer for life. They’ll never touch a wheelbarrow again.

Rhode Island Mulch Express Blower Services 782 -6000 | RhodeIslandMulch.com

back to the future

A NOTED DESIGNER SHARES HOW AN OLD HOME WAS RECONFIGURED TO EMBRACE ITS ROOTS WHILE ACCOMMODATING MODERN LIFE

BY ELYSE MAJOR

for many New England homeowners, it’s not uncommon to live in a house that is 100 years old. Lifestyles were different back then and older homes often have original features that now seem curious to our modern eyes – like small narrow closets (does a bike go in there?) – or worse, rooms that received remodels in decades past with trappings and decisions that now seem odd and dated (hardwood flooring hidden beneath layers of carpeting and laminate). But what if your new home is old and you want to keep that vibe – but imbue a modern twist? This was the case for a young family who fell hard for a classic center-hall Colonial on Providence’s East Side.

A custom island with marble inlay and accents sourced from nearby antique shops outfit the kitchen with a sense of history

PHOTOS BY ERIN LITTLE PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF MOORE HOUSE DESIGN

After much research, the MHD team landed on the perfect palette:

CABINET & STAIRCASE: Iron Ore WALLS: Aesthetic White

SECOND FLOOR: Shiitake

Built in 1920, the home had succumbed to some builder-grade renovations in the 1980s and bespoke millwork, solid cabinetry, and moldings had been removed. To course-correct, the couple turned to Moore House Design (MHD), a family-run business based half in Warren and half in New York City whose work they’d been admiring on Instagram. MHD has a holistic approach to creative and functional design that has landed them national attention, including being on an episode of Point of View: A Designer Profile for Magnolia Network on Discovery+. Says Blair Moore, founder and creative director, “Our goal was to bring this home back to life and back to its historic roots, but with some modern flair.”

In a full-scale design, renovation, and furnishings project, the MHD team set a goal of transforming the home by “infusing it with only the most charming of details.” The first-floor expanded kitchen now boasts “sooty midnight” cabinetry and textural brick walls, while the second-floor main suite has built-in closets, which provide coveted storage while incorporating sleek colonial-inspired character. “The overall scope of this project required a hefty, multi-floor, full gut, or ‘floverhaul’ as I like to call it,” says Moore. “We overhauled the floor plan with attention to spatial flow and creating storage for the growing family. The kitchen, entryway, pantry, mudroom, dining room, and main suite were renovated head to toe.”

Muntins on new windows lend character; a custom brass ledge adds display space and elegance over the limewashed brick

Sherwin Williams

So what goes into making an old house that was remodeled to look new, look old again? Moore shares that it begins with the “discovery” phase. “Our team does a lot of research about the home and the architecture type to be able to execute our interior architecture plans.” While Moore explains there were some major structural changes that her team made to the layout of the first floor, they didn’t want to lose that quintessential New England Colonial feel.

Topping the MHD list was bringing back architectural features via installations of redesigned casework, millwork, paneling, and crown moldings; they also moved structural walls so it looked intentional and like it had always been that way. “A lot of Colonials we work on have original brick but this house was stripped of it before we arrived, so naturally we wanted to add it back in in the kitchen and mudroom. We layered that with a limewash over the top that calcifies over time,” Moore explains.

His and hers vanities on either side add boutique hotel appeal

“ We made this bathroom out of thin air ” says Moore of the main suite bathroom

GET RHODY STYLE

Blair Moore shares ideas and resources for making the most of living in the Ocean State.

OCEAN STATE ALLURE

“Our firm is based half in Rhode Island and half in New York City and it’s always a breath of fresh air when we are at our offices here. The proximity to the water at every turn, the greenscapes, the friendly people, the New England history… you name it, Rhode Island’s got it!”

SHOP SMALL

“We love shopping at The Cottage and some of the antique shops in Tiverton, our own warehouse for Moore House Design, and selecting pieces from O&G Studio in Warren.”

LOCAL TALENT

Cabinetry for this project was by Sakonnet Furniture Makers and Tiverton-based MTM Woodworking & Design, who also provided construction and millwork.

MOORE TO LOVE

“We pride ourselves on design for generations. With a philosophy informed by our respect for historical architecture, our intention is to design with out-of-the-box creativity while staying true to the original character of a structure. We create cohesive interiors that focus on function while layering organic and sustainable elements that bring depth and sculpture into your space. We think like architects, but we blend structure with design and comfort, taking a holistic approach throughout your home.” Learn more at MooreHouseDesign.com

Carimate chairs by designer Vico Magistretti surround a green soapstone dining table

A 19th century burl secretary desk serves up dining room storage and warmth

Once the heavy lifting was done, MHD enjoyed imparting what they refer to as their signature broody style. Says Moore, “it’s a term we coined to describe our mix of bright and moody, and it brings so much depth.” This is where paint and furnishings come in.

“Our team is absolutely methodical when it comes to paint colors. We have a general gist of where we want the colors to land in every room from the beginning of our design journey, but right towards completion, our team swatches hundreds of colors and tests them over multiple days to make sure the color selected heightens the interior architecture, adds depth to the furnishings and fabrications, and works in every single type of light case that the weather can throw at us, always choosing the exact right color for the space.”

Furnishings and accents were antique scores from Tiverton Four Corners; the vintage rope chair is from the MHD shop launching this summer

Textiles bring warmth and comfort to the snug mud room

Mounted lighting removes the need for dual bedside tables

“

This suite was about simple details : a Lassen lounge chair, antique lighting, and a vintage mahal rug from our shop ” says Moore

Moore shares that the architecture of a space always inspires how MHD places furniture and decor throughout the home in an artistic way. “Our firm has a love for selecting the perfect antiques from all over the globe and layering them with carefully proportioned custom pieces. We layer in a blend of our clients’ lifestyles as well as a very organic layering of custom and antiques to deepen the roots of the space,” says Moore. “We believe that every house should feel gathered and layered with elements of our clients as if they were to travel the world and collect all of these incredible treasures that just perfectly and effortlessly work within the home. Our goal is for the furniture to fit effortlessly within the architecture of the home.”

Deemed the Colonial Modernist project, Moore reports that the homeowners are overjoyed with the results. Smiling brightly she affirms, “I always say if you don’t have the four components of your interior architecture right – walls, ceilings, floors, and windows – then it doesn’t matter what furniture you add into the space. It will always feel out of place and forced.”

Custom storage and a sitting nook make the most of a small bedroom

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GUIDE BUYER’S

Spring forward into homeownership with handy facts, insights, and pro tips

| By the Editors

Owning a home isn’t all backyard cook-outs and roses. There are pros and cons of being both a homeowner and a renter. As with all major life decisions, making the move from renter to owner is highly personal and depends on myriad factors. Sometimes due to mortgage rates, the cost of rent versus a mortgage payment is a wash, but it’s the other factors that come into play. For example, if you rent an apartment and need a new water heater, the property owner should handle that, but if you’re a homeowner, the burden is on you. And there’s always a good chance that soon after you take ownership, something big will need repairing or replacing, so as you make your budget, pad for the unexpected.

In a tight housing market, with interest rates considerably higher than a year ago, demand for housing is still booming. “Regardless of interest rates, there are still a plethora of buyers,” says Dee Webster, a Coldwell Banker Realty real estate agent serving Providence and the surrounding areas. “The difference between 2023 and 2022 is that the homes are selling at or very close to list price when the home is priced correctly.”

In many desirable areas, the demand outweighs the supply. “It’s very clear that the lack of inventory is largely influenced by the fact that homeowners have exceptionally low interest rates and are less inclined to sell,” says Lindsay Pettinelli, a realtor at Churchill & Banks Residential in Providence. “Despite this, buyers shouldn’t be discouraged, but they need to be realistic and prepared. Offers and terms are generally very favorable to sellers. Be sure you are preapproved with a lender who is able to move quickly, and that you are working with a realtor that has experience as a buyer’s agent. My buyers and I are often thinking outside the box to accommodate seller wants in terms of closing timeline, potentially even allowing the purchase to be subject to seller finding suitable housing.”

“I’ve been involved in aspects of real estate for over 20 years,” says Chris Woodard of Keller Williams Coastal Realty in Middletown. “If there was ever a time to have an experienced realtor on your side whether you’re buying or selling, this is the time.”

“As there are many more buyers than sellers this spring, it’s key to be prepared and know what your limits are,” says Susan Kostas of Coldwell Banker/Realty in Barrington. “It’s easy to get swept up in the energy (and nerves!) of a multiple-offer situation, so know what your budget is. Keep in mind what you truly need in a home and what you can let go of. And make sure your team –your agent and lender – communicate clearly and swiftly because timeliness counts!”

BEFORE YOU BUY: A Handy Checklist

If you decide that homeownership is right for you, congrats! It’s exciting and scary, and the process is not always as glamorous as it looks on TV. In tandem with making your wishlist of half-baths and fireplaces, school systems and dog parks, get real about your financial situation and work to get your credit score in good standing, if needed. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers this checklist and advice:

Check your credit

DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE GRANT

The biggest hurdle for many homebuyers is affordability. One program to assist first-time homebuyers, recently announced by Governor Dan McKee, is the Rhode Island down payment assistance grant. Available to eligible Rhode Island first-time homebuyers, the program offers $17,500 in down payment and closing cost assistance grants.

Learn more at RIHousing.com/Statewide-DPA

Assess your spending

Budget for new or changed expenses

Determine your down payment

Decide how much you want to spend on a home

Consider whether it’s the right time for you to buy

Build a network of advisors

Create a loan application packet

Gather names of real estate professionals recommended by friends, relatives, and colleagues

PROVIDENCE MONTHLY PRESENTS

FIND MONEY AND PROPERTY

More than 300,000 Rhode Islanders have property waiting to be returned to them, and many don’t even realize it until they search the database and find their missing money. Treasurer James A. Diossa is committed to reuniting Rhode Islanders with money that is rightfully theirs. Visit FindRIMoney.com to see if there’s a surprise with your name on it!

Real Estate WHO’S WHO

BUYER’S AGENT: Assists and represents their clients through every step of the homebuying process, including finding the right home, negotiating an offer, recommending other professionals (e.g., mortgage brokers, real estate attorneys, settlement companies), and troubleshooting problems (e.g., home inspection or appraisal issues).

LISTING AGENT: A real estate agent who represents a home seller and helps clients who are selling with a wide range of tasks, including pricing their home, recommending home improvements or staging, marketing their home, holding open houses, coordinating showings with home buyers, negotiating with buyers, and overseeing the home inspection process and closing procedures.

REAL ESTATE AGENT: Someone with a professional license to help people buy, sell, or rent all sorts of housing and real estate.

REAL ESTATE BROKER: Someone who has taken education beyond the agent level as required by state laws and passed a broker’s license exam.

RENTAL AGENT: Helps consumers find properties to rent.

REALTOR: A licensed agent with the ability to use that widely respected title, an agent needs to be a member of the National Association of Realtors®. The Rhode Island Association of Realtors® is one of the largest trade organizations in Rhode Island with more than 6,000 members in approximately 900 offices.

Rising interest rates are another concern. “It’s important to keep perspective,” says Newport Realtor Teri Degnan, reassuring potential buyers. “The rates aren’t historically high, so while some buyers and sellers have hit the pause button, the reality is, people have to move, whether for job opportunities or personal reasons. Keep a level head, stay the course, and work with a professional who has a comprehensive understanding of the Rhode Island market.”

“Buyers are experiencing change in both inventory and interest rates, but from the title/ closing company’s perspective, our biggest change to deal with is the high occurrence of wire fraud in the market,” explains Christopher Marovelli, director of Compliance and Affiliated Business at SKM Title & Closing Services, who handles cases in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. “We’ve set our sights on how to communicate with buyers and agents early and often about the dangers in the market and how to avoid having their funds stolen with fraudulent wiring instructions. While wires may remain a necessary evil in the closing process, buyers should always be wary about sending any wire and ensure that they verify any instructions directly with a source using a phone number they can trust.”

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LENDING TERMS

ADJUSTABLE RATE: Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) offer less predictability but may be cheaper in the short term. Source: ConsumerFinance.go v

FIXED RATE: Your interest rate and monthly principal and interest payment will stay the same, but your total monthly payment can still change – for example, your property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, or mortgage insurance might go up or down.

INTEREST-ONLY: Interest-only (I-O mortgage) plans allow you to pay only the interest on the loan for a specified period. This means a lower monthly price gets you started. Once the I-O period ends, your monthly cost could rise significantly, since you are now paying principal and interest.

LONG TERM: Lower monthly payment but you’ll pay more in interest.

PRIVATE MORTGAGE INSURANCE (PMI): An additional cost that will be required by your lender if you don’t put 20 percent down.

SHORT TERM: Higher monthly payment but you’ll pay less over time in interest.

Moving Costs

Unless you are minimalist and can fit all your stuff in a friend’s pick-up for the cost of pizza and beer, you probably need to hire movers. According to Consumer Affairs, hiring movers can cost anywhere between a few hundred dollars to several thousand, depending on how far you’re moving and how much work you’re willing to do yourself. The amount of personal property you’re transporting also affects the total cost. The average cost for a local move is $80 to $100 per hour for a team of two movers. The total cost you’ll pay for a local move is mostly a function of how long it takes the moving crew to load and unload the truck — meaning the more items you have, the more you’ll pay to move them. Movers will also pack for you, for a fee, and therefore are responsible for “accidents.”

Home Inspection & Appraisal

After falling for the first house or visiting many, you have found “the” house and made an offer. Next steps are inspections and appraisals.

SITES

WORTH SAVING

Energy.RI.gov: Learn about solar and other ways to save energy.

HUD.gov: Resources for homebuyers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

RIDE.RI.gov: Find info about public schools by city and town.

RILiving.com: Scan neighborhood reports, tax rates, and helpful stats about cities and towns.

The inspection is for your own protection and is a step that should not be skipped. Ask your realtor or buyer’s agent to recommend a home inspector and make sure this person is reputable (check those creds). An inspector will examine the property inside and out, looking for serious flaws. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), if your purchase contract is contingent on a satisfactory inspection, you should be able to cancel the sale without penalty. You can also then be in a position to negotiate with the seller for certain repairs, etc.

If you are applying for a mortgage, most banks will do a home appraisal. If the appraisal comes in lower than the purchase price – which can happen in an overheated market prone to bidding wars – you might need to make up the difference in cash or the homeowner will need to come down to match what the bank will lend. If the appraisal comes in higher than the purchase price, you’ve hit the real estate jackpot.

Photo courtesy of All Favorites Cafe

Good Eggs

An Edgewood couple breathes zesty new life into a long-loved neighborhood diner

By Ann Martini

We Rhode Islanders are a funny bunch. We like things the way they are, where they are. We don’t like change, especially when losing something iconic: think Benny’s or Ann & Hope. So you’ll imagine my attitude one morning when I wandered into All Favorites Cafe on Broad Street in Cranston. I had been coming there for breakfast on and off since I was a kid, when Joe and Pat Mangione opened it as J.P. Spoonem’s. Who, I wondered, dared to fill such big shoes?

I sat on a stool at the retro, horseshoe-shaped counter and started to get a sense of who as I perused the menu, filled with options like an Herbed Goat Cheese Omelette, Grilled Ham and Pimento Cheese Sandwich, and Shrimp Po’boy. I had a hard time deciding, but I opted for a classic: the Eggs Benedict, with over-easy eggs and roasted jalapeño hollandaise. I’m often freaked out by the idea of uncooked eggs, but have always wanted to be able to order an eggs benny, and this version sounded like something I could get behind.

As I waited, I got more of a sense of the new owners, Emily Marye – the welcoming face in the front of the house – and chef Berke Marye, who calls his culinary style “upscale comfort food.” I spied a four-foot-long shelf of cookbooks by notable chefs above the tidy service counter. I snuck a peek into the tiny kitchen, where pictures are taped, teenager-bedroom-style, alongside the prep station: Julia Child, John McEnroe, The Who, Johnny Cash. There’s a Shepard Faireystyle portrait of Anthony Bourdain underscored by the words: “Cook Free or Die.”

These things tell me that Berke is a chef’s chef, preparing the kind of food other kitchen professionals want to eat on their days off. He grew up in Houston, Texas and ran a gourmet pizza place there with his father. In 2005, he moved to Boston and worked under the iconic chef Gordon Hamersley and eventually became executive chef at Winfield’s on Block Island. He and Emily, a potter, lived on the island in the summer and in South County in the winter. But after a dozen years and with a young daughter, they moved to Edgewood looking for

stability and diversity and happened upon J.P. Spoonem’s. When they learned it was up for sale, it seemed that kismet was knocking. “I’m so glad we can do this for the neighborhood, and for our family,” Berke says.

So am I! When my dish was delivered, I was delighted. Thick, grilled sourdough was a more fitting base than English muffins might have been, playing the role of a thirsty sponge that absorbed the fat of the ham, juice of the tomato, silky egg yolk, and kicky hollandaise. I cleaned my plate, right down to the shaved, pickled red onion garnish. On another visit, it was the El

Must-Try Items

EGGS BENEDICT ( $15 ) Grilled sourdough, country ham or smoked salmon, over-easy eggs, roasted tomato, dressed arugula, and roasted jalapeño hollandaise

THE CUBANO ( $14 ) Grilled baguette, pulled pork, country ham, baby Swiss, house made pickles, mustard, and coleslaw

BERKE’S PIMENTO CHEESE ( $8/$12 ) By the jar to go, eight or 12 ounce

Cuisine: Homemade upscale comfort food with a Southern twist

Atmosphere: Bright and friendly retro-style cafe

Burro that bowled me over: a grilled flour tortilla wrapped around scrambled eggs, sharp cheddar, salsa, black beans, and crema, with home fries. I added juicy house-made pork sausage.

My Edgewood neighborhood has a lovely new family who are killing it in both the back and front of the house in their new-again cafe – and for the first time in my life, I’m salivating over the eggs benedict. It’s a win-win for everyone.

All Favorites Cafe

1678 Broad Street, Cranston 941-3550 • AllFavoritesCafe.com

P hotos courtesy of All Favorites Cafe

A savory breakfast bowl

Owners Emily and Berke Marye

Squash Swap

Light sweet and savory fare to satiate springtime cravings

By Liz Murray

MIDDLETOWN MARKETPLACE

Though butternut squash isn’t in season this month, a chef-curated market in Middletown stocks grocery provisions from top purveyors and local small-batch suppliers. Chances are good you’ll find the ingredients you need from Foodlove Market to make this delectable dish – and while you’re there, shop their vast selection of prepared foods for sides, many made fresh by Newport Restaurant Group eateries. Foodlo v eMarket.com

April finds many tables filled with deviled eggs, honey-glazed carrots, lamb shanks, and brisket, but for the non-holiday dinners, why not try a palate cleanser that’s on the light side? Butternut squash steaks take advantage of a bold mix of spices but in the context of a meal that’s fully vegetarian. Slices of sturdy butternut squash are a fun swap in for traditional beef steak that are marinated, roasted, seared, and topped with pistachios for a vitamin C- and nutrient-rich entree. Bonus points: whether giving up meat for Lent or eating kosher, this sweet and savory dish is a great choice.

Butternut Squash Steaks

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 Tbsp for pan searing

• 2 tsp sugar or substitute

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp coriander

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp table salt

• ½ tsp ground turmeric

• 1 large butternut squash (or 2 if you choose to serve 2 steaks per plate to feed 4)

• ¼ cup pistachios, chopped

• 2 Tbsp basil, chopped

• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt with lime juice

• 2 cups cooked grain or pasta of choice

STEPS

1. Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Mix together the olive oil, sugar, cumin, garlic powder, salt, coriander, cinnamon, and turmeric. Set aside.

2. Carefully cut the bulb of the squash off, right at the base of the neck. The neck will give you rectangular-shaped steaks, which is what we want. You also have the option to cut the squash into medallions, which will be circular.

3. Use a peeler to remove skin, as well as any underlying fibrous threads just below the surface. Typically you want to go over it twice to achieve this.

4. Carefully cut the neck of the squash in half lengthwise, right down the middle. Then, cut each section in half lengthwise so you are left with 4 ¾ -inch steaks. Place the steaks on a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and brush evenly on both sides with the spice mixture.

5. Roast the steaks until almost tender, for 18-20 minutes. Once they are done roasting, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over mediumhigh heat. Once it’s hot, use tongs to place the squash steaks into the pan. Sear on each side for about 3 minutes, until they start to crisp up.

6. Serve roasted butternut squash steaks over the grain or pasta of choice (I used couscous), and top with yogurt, chopped pistachios, and fresh basil. I recommend squeezing some lime juice into the yogurt, as lime complements the dish well. Enjoy!

For more tips and recipes, visit RecipeHippie.com

Photo by Liz Murray

Colorful Spring Nibbles

Bakeshops are ready for the bunny with carrot cakes, sweet breads, pies, and more

By Patty J

Poore Man Bakery crafts spring cupcakes topped with petite nests

Flowers are blooming, the sun is out longer, and bakeshop cases are looking cute. Whether you’re hosting the family or planning a spring soiree, you can breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to desserts because these eight bakeries have rolled out some terrific sweets for April indulging.

Gingersnaps Bakery

How does a six-inch carrot cake frosted and topped with sugar cookie ears and feet, buttercream swirls, and fresh flowers sound? This woman-owned bakeshop has that and much more, including cupcakes, macarons, and paint-your-own-Easter-egg cookie kits. Lincoln, GingersnapsBakeryRI.com

Pastryland Bakery

Peeps, are you missing those ricotta or rice pies from back in the day? Take a little Rhode trip over to Pastryland and pick up a few of those bestsellers, as well as a loaf of their sensational sweet and colorful egg-in-the-center Easter breads –plus one lucky winner will take home a giant chocolate egg! Smithfield, Facebook: Pastryland Bakery

Poore Man Bakery

This Hope & Main-based bakery, established by a Le Cordon Bleu alum and pastry chef, has beautiful pastel-hued macaron boxes – a perfect host gift if you’re attending a spring fling. You can also special order their whimsical brownies topped with candy egg-filled nests or their mouth-watering cupcakes. Warren, PooreManBakery.com

Silver Spoon Bakery

While they are probably most famous for their gourmet cupcakes, this darling Main Street patisserie with French flair expands their offerings to include seasonal deliciousness in the form of carrot or lemon blueberry cake, both cheerily decorated, as well as Cadbury egg blondies, sugar cookie kits, and more. East Greenwich, Sil v erSpoonBakery.com

Vesta Bakery

A tiny shop with a devoted following – tourists and long-time residents can’t get enough of their custom cakes and small-batch breads – Vesta brings an equally special Easter menu of mini chocolate mousse eggs, carrot cake cupcakes, and trays of Italian cookies (featuring lemon drops and pistachio cherry biscotti). Westerly, VestaBakery.com

Vienna Bakery

On any given day, locals flock to Vienna for their fresh bread, calzones, pizza, cannolis, and cookies. Come April, they unveil a huge selection of goodies including rice pies (chocolate or pineapple), bunny and basket cakes, small and large chocolate eggs, and cupcakes for Easter feasting. Barrington, ViennaBakeryRI.com

Wright’s Dairy Farm & Bakery

This family-run business added goodies like chocolate cream pies and baked goods to their offerings back in the ‘70s and never looked back.

This year, they have everything from bunny cakes (chocolate or yellow) to their show-stopping centerpiece cake, a lemon confection with raspberry filling and Italian buttercream frosting. North Smithfield, WrightsDairyFarm.com

Zaccagnini’s Pastry Shoppe

Sure, you can go for the bakery pizza and dough boys, but during spring, you can’t leave without picking up some seasonal sweet treats. Regulars adore their ricotta pie, carrot cake squares, Easter basket cupcakes and bread, and custom cakes. Pawtucket, Facebook: Zaccagnini’s Pastry Shoppe

DIY paint-your-own Easter egg cookies from Gingersnaps P hotos courtesy of Poore Man Bakery (L) and Gingersnaps Bakery (R)

From Cranston Cucina to Celebrity Status

A TV appearance put this small-town chef and his Italian eatery on the map

By Jenna Pelletier

Back in January, Cranston-based chef Brian Nadeau made his national TV debut as a competitor on the Netflix reality cooking show Pressure Cooker . “I never thought I would do anything like this,” Nadeau says on the first of eight episodes. “I’m a street chef. I didn’t go to school for any cooking whatsoever.”

Nadeau filmed the show, during which he competed with 10 other chefs for a $100,000 prize, in Los Angeles last winter. Looking back on the experience now, Nadeau says he probably fit the producers’ desire to cast a tattooed, selftaught chef. “When I first got there, I admit, I was intimidated,” Nadeau says. “I was like, what did I sign up for?’ I started seeing these young chefs, fresh out of school, and some of them had worked for superstar chefs. I was worried about having a challenge I had not trained for.”

Starting in high school with a job at a nowclosed pizza restaurant in Pawtucket, Nadeau, 42, learned how to cook through various front- and back-of-house jobs. For the past seven years, he has owned Italian-American restaurant Cucina Rustica in Cranston with his wife, Gina. He describes his menu as “comfort food-forward” and “feeling like you’re at grandma’s house on a Sunday.” Dishes include classics like linguine alle vongole, escarole and beans, and veal marsala. He also offers a popular takeout-only, three-course chicken parmesan meal called Bomb Chicken Parm”

Now that Pressure Cooker has been streaming for a few months, Nadeau has been pleasantly surprised to see the positive reaction to his participation on the show, which he had to keep a secret for almost a year. “We have been so busy,” he says. “Since the show dropped my business has increased by 35 percent, and the winter is normally our slow time. I’m flattered and humbled to have people driving far distances just to meet me.”

He adds that people now often recognize him around Rhode Island, including at the gym and supermarket, which is a new

experience. “It’s a bizarre and surreal feeling,” he says. “I’m just a kid from Cranston.”

Nadeau never sought out the type of fame that comes with appearing on a popular TV program. In fact, when producers first reached out to him about the opportunity through Instagram, he thought it was a joke or a scam. “To make a long story short, direct messages turned to emails, emails turned to phone calls, phone calls turned to Zoom meetings, and eventually I’m in the Zoom meetings with producers from Netflix,” he says. “But I didn’t even know it was for Netflix at first.”

Nadeau says he’s happy with how he performed

in the competition, which involves the chefs judging each other’s cooking, but he wishes he “wasn’t so nervous. At some points I was really in my head,” he says. “My nerves got the best of me.”

He adds that the experience, including becoming friends with talented chefs from all over the country, has “lit a fire” in him. “It gave me an extra boost of motivation,” Nadeau says. “I came home and ripped up my menu. Now, I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

555 Atwood Avenue, Cranston 944-2500 • CucinaRusticaRI.com

Cucina Rustica

Photo courtesy of Brian Nadeau

Chef Brian Nadeau recently competed on Pressure Cooker

Photo courtesy of Green Mountain TableWorx

Natural Instincts

How garage tinkering led to the founding of New England’s largest supplier of live edge furniture

By Callie Bisset

When Jamie Holcomb built his first wood table in the live edge style in his garage, he never could have imagined it would turn into his next business endeavor. Live edge pieces are designed to embrace the natural curves of the trees,

meaning each item is inherently unique. Holcomb now owns and operates the largest handcrafted table manufacturer in New England. Based in the Esmond section of Smithfield, Green Mountain TableWorx specializes in creating one-of-a-kind live edge wood pieces.

“It was an accident,” says Holcomb on

starting this venture seven years ago. After producing a few pieces for his own home, he began selling his handcrafted tables on Craigslist and quickly noticed great potential. Forgoing his dream of retirement, Holcomb created Green Mountain TableWorx to reach a larger market for New England-made pieces.

Nicholas Myette works on a table top

The business was relocated from Vermont to Rhode Island during the pandemic, and goods are now designed, built, and manufactured in Smithfield.

Today, Green Mountain TableWorx offers a variety of live edge wood pieces including wall art, tables, countertops, and more, currently producing about 120 tables a week. “Every piece we design, there is not one like it in the world,” says Holcomb.

Many of their popular tables include some form of resin set in the table’s natural grain. From custom pieces to stock orders, they offer multiple styles and collections. The Voltage Collection features pieces charged with electricity to undergo a fracking process resulting in unique craters and channels that appear in “lightning-like bursts.” The “bursts” are then filled with colored resin.

Perhaps their most popular offerings are tables from the River line, which feature resin poured between pieces of wood to give the appearance of a body of water. Now with computerized numerical control (CNC) technology, they can even create scaled renditions of Google Map locations to construct replicas of popular coastline areas or even a lake house.

The River tables also offer the opportunity for an interactive experience by including rocks or sand within the resin stream. Holcomb recalls stories of special order tables created as a way to preserve a loved one’s memory, such as a widow who used her table to preserve a heart stone left behind by her late husband, or a mother and son who had the stones they collected together sealed into their table.

One of Holcomb’s favorite parts is the eternal gratification he experiences in making these works of art. He explains the organic live edge style is no longer viewed as just a trend, and the popularity spans across age groups and demographics from a lawyer in Brooklyn to a cabin in the mountains. Sealed and finished, the wood tables are durable and can be cleaned with just soap and hot water, which makes for an heirloom -quality investment.

Green Mountain TableWorx’s Smithfield location offers a small retail selection, but all pieces can be custom created on request. Learn more at GreenMountainTable.com

Six worthwhile selections to add to your bookshelf

By Hugh Minor

Rhody Reads L

ike your streaming service watch list, what you choose to read reveals much about your interests; it’s also fun to mix it up a bit and try genres that are unfamiliar to you. This month’s selections include offerings by a former journalist, a school teacher, and an actress-turned novelist whose latest is landing on numerous must-read lists. Whether you are seeking intrigue or a tale of redemption, these six picks are ready to entertain.

First-time novelist and Rhode Island transplant C.B. Bernard knocks it out of the park with his gorgeous take on love and loss, Small Animals Caught in Traps: A No v el . Lewis, a fishing guide in Oregon, struggles to rebuild his life after a failed boxing career. When tragedy strikes, his survival depends on the one bright spot in his life, his daughter Gray. It’s a tale of love and redemption sure to capture your heart.

Based on a real-life true crime story, Deborah Goodrich Royce’s Reef Road: A No v el is a thrilling mystery loaded with engaging and identifiable characters that will enthrall readers until the very last word. Violence is at the core of the story as it reverberates through families for generations. As the lives of two women are drawn together, they must solve a tragic mystery, as well as accept and understand how it affects their very identities. Royce hosts the Ocean House Author Series; visit OceanHouseEvents.com for details.

Politics in Rhode Island are always a hot topic and Richard Laliberte’s novel, The Thaumaturge of Pro v idence , pulls no punches. From a doomsday cult to a drug cartel, everyone is invested in the outcome of the Providence City Council election and will do whatever it takes to make sure their side wins. As Brown student Eli Silverman digs deeper into the background of the predicted winner, will he find himself in a hole with no way out?

New York Times bestselling author and Rhode Islander Marie Force has released her latest book, How Much I Need , the fifth entry in her Miami Nights series. A tale right out of the daytime soaps, the romance focuses on shooting victim Milo who falls for the nurse who saved his life, Gianna. The more time they spend together during his recovery, the more they realize there may be something more between them. Tune in to find out what happens next…

Moses Brown English teacher and writer Matty Bennett captures the angst of growing up a gay teen in his young adult novel, We Give Support, Not Advice . After the tragic death of a student, Jefferson High School launches an LGBTQ support group led by the students who must figure out how to help one another survive and thrive during these challenging times. Told in Bennett’s beautiful poetic verse, the story is both a hopeful and necessary tale for our times.

In the dark, apocalyptic landscape of Alfred Kohli’s Blue Light , Duncan has no home. He spends his days fleeing the oppressive Overseers and their army of Enforcers that seek the remaining humans who give off a mysterious blue light. When one of the marked ones, Gabrielle, enters Duncan’s life, he must decide whether to continue on his journey or stay and fight for something more. A must-read for fans of The Last of Us .

Send your Rhody book recommendations to Hugh at RhodyReads@gmail.com

SHOP INDIE

A statewide listing of Rhode Island booksellers: Arc{hive} Book + Snackery: Warren, ArchiveBookSnackery.com

Barrington Books: BarringtonBooks.com

Book Nerd: Barrington, Facebook

Books on the Square: Providence, BookSq.com

Charter Books: Newport, CharterBookStore.com

Curiosity & Co.: Jamestown, CuriosityAnd.Company/store

Heartleaf Books: Providence, HeartleafBooks.com

Inkfish Books: Warren, InkFishBooks.com

Island Books: Middletown, IslandBooksRI.indielite.org

Island Bound Bookstore: Block Island, IslandBoundBookstore.com

Lovecraft Arts & Sciences: Providence, WeirdProvidence.org

Paper Nautilus Books: Providence, PaperNautilusBooks.com

Rarities Books & Bindery: Wakefield, RaritiesOnline.com

Ri ra Bookstore + Bar: Providence, Ri Ra PVD.com

Savoy Bookshop & Cafe: Westerly, BankSquareBooks.com

Stillwater Books: Pawtucket, StillwaterBooksRI.com

Symposium Books: Providence, SymposiumBooks.com

Twenty Stories: Providence, TwentyStoriesLA.com

Wakefield Books: Wakefield, WakefieldBooks.com

Floor Show

A signature process and made-local commitment are behind Lincoln braided rug maker’s longevity

By Callie Bisset

Chances are you’ve seen them at major retailers like Wayfair, Lowes, and the Vermont Country Store catalog – colorful braided rugs that lend timeless warmth and pattern to any room. What you might not realize is that they’re 100 percent made in the USA, and to put an even finer point on it, they’re made right here in Lincoln by the aptly named Rhody Rug. Scott Weldon, president, is passionate about bringing jobs to the community and generating a high-quality made-in-the-USA product. Founded in 1987, Rhody Rug offers a variety of braided items, such as chair pads, trivets, and baskets, but they specialize in

heirloom-quality indoor/outdoor rugs. Rhody Rug owns their entire process, including their special made-in-house filler.

“There’s two types of yarn,” explains Weldon as he shows off various spools that will soon become multi-toned braided rugs, “[naturalized] polypropylene nylon and wool.”

The yarn is brought in from Georgia, and from there everything is done inside the walls of the Lincoln facility. Their exclusive polypropylene is praised for its lower price point, and due to the naturalization process, its soft finish.

But what really matters is what’s inside. Weldon proudly shows off the exclusively developed machinery designed to produce their

own filler, a more porous material as opposed to the paper-like material used by competitors. This filler is the secret to each rug’s lay-flat guarantee and durability. The filler makes the poly more durable and indoor/outdoor safe, meaning all the rugs made of the material can be easily cleaned off with a garden hose.

The yarn goes through a series of machines and processes wherein it transforms to braided strands, and then the seamsters create the final product. “They’re like artists,” explains Weldon. The seamsters operate a series of foot pedals to spin the rug over an expansive air hockey-style table that allows them to easily move and manipulate the rugs. The completed

Rolled and ready to ship P hoto by Elyse Major

rugs will then endure a series of at least three quality checks before they are packed and shipped to their final destinations.

Rhody Rug produces about 1,500-2,000 rugs per week, but it is the careful attention to detail with every rug that sets them apart from other manufacturers. The durable rugs are available in a variety of colors and styles in both traditional colors and classic patterns, but they’re also continuously working on new designs. Weldon shares that new collections set to launch this spring feature space dyed yarn, a technique where multiple colors repeat on a single yarn, resulting in a seamless transition between color variants.

Also on deck are new lines, designed to perfectly accent their respective decorative styles. The Vineyard Collection employs a Cape Cod-inspired palette of washed pastels perfect for a beach house; the Farmhouse Collection pairs perfectly with the neutral tones of modern farmhouse style. Additionally, rugs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and some are even available in solid colors. Rhody Rug is exploring new channels and plans to offer direct-to-consumer purchase options in the near future. For now, visitors to the Lincoln showroom can have the hands-on experience of picking out their own Rhodymade rug. Learn more at RhodyRug.com

Teresa De Jesus Torres sews at the giant air hockey-like table

e Must List

10 essential events this month

Through April: There’s never a better time to visit Newport than Daffodil Days , featuring over a million blooms popping up from the ground and decorating store windows, plus parades, bike rides, Restaurant Week, and more. NewportInBloom.org

April 1-2: The 73rd Annual Rhode Island Home Show comes to the RI Convention Center with the Rhode Island Specialty Flower Show, a 10,000-square-foot garden experience, plus the new inspiration showcase, art of the Ocean State, and more. Pro v idence, RIBAHomeShow.com

April 6: The Blooming Bulbs Workshop from Q uintessential Gardens aims to teach about planting, growing, and arranging locally grown spring ephemerals – plus cocktails and snacks. Bristol, MountHopeFarm.org

April 29: Stroll Fox Point neighborhood for the annual Wickenden Street Makers Market featuring over 50 local artisans and makers, along with food trucks, DJ music, beer, and cocktails. Pro v idence, ShopWickenden.com

April 7 and May 2: Wicked Tulips in Exeter and Johnston, respectively, host Local Tuesdays , encouraging folks in the same townships as their farms to visit for discounted prices and pick their own stems. Dates are subject to change. Exeter & Johnston, WickedTulips.com

April 13: Sip brews and meet local artists and makers for the Field of Artisan ’s monthly market at Whalers Brewing Company, featuring original designs, projects, and other creations. Wakefield, FieldOfArtisans.com

April 15: Explore our relationship with the land and other topics at Treenook’s Book Club at Mowry Commons for a look at Masanobu Fukuoka’s One Straw Revolution , sharing a mix of philosophy and practical knowledge. Smithfield, ReviveTheRoots.org

April 18: Join Providence Media for our annual Who to Watch Party , sponsored by Papitto Opportunity Connection at the Rooftop at Providence G! Celebrate nine city changemakers while dancing and sipping drinks. Pro v idenceOnline.com

April 22: The Rhode Island Spring Festival returns to the West Warwick Civic Center with dozens of craft exhibitors, music, food, and more from around the region. West Warwick, Facebook: Rhode Island Spring Festival

April 22: Buttonwoods Brewery hosts an Earth Day Market featuring all-ages tie-dye classes with plant-based dye with Juicy Market PVD, along with terrarium classes by A Bushel and A Peck Floral Shop. Cranston, JuicyMarketPVD.com

Photo courtesy of Wickenden Street Merchants Association