New British Design Store Grace & Favor to Open in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Brooklyn, New York (PRWEB) October 17, 2013

The Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, known for its eclectic mix of fun and unusual shopping destinations, will soon add to its roster a one-of-a-kind new store, Grace & Favor. Grace & Favor will inhabit an old carriage house at 168 N 1st Street, and will offer furniture, lighting, wall coverings, art and accessories from some of the UK's best-known designers. Many of the collections will be exclusive to Grace & Favor in the States. Comfortable, contemporary interior design will merge with vintage finds, all British and all brought together by interior design industry veteran, Williamsburg resident and British expat Andrea Brooke. What's likely to make Grace & Favor this fall's buzz-worthy design spot is Brooke's ebullient yet elegant style and her unique ability to seamlessly blend the rich heritage of classic British design with the most forward-thinking style concepts coming out of the UK. “Old or new what's in the store is British to the core,” says Brooke, “but it's all been curated for its design merit, so it all looks beautiful in an American home or any home, really.”

“I love the idea that people can discover anything here from a very good chair to a fun gift,” says Brooke, who leveraged her UK insider sources to thoughtfully collect vintage items, which she will feature alongside furnishings from some of the most esteemed names in British design. Marquee labels at Grace & Favor will include Andrew Martin, Cole & Son, Zoffany and GP & J Baker plus an iconic wallpaper line by British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood. Brooke has also imported lighting from Davey which traces its roots back to the shipyards of 19th Century England and art pieces from Royal College of Art illustrator and artist Michelle Thompson. There will also be gift-able accessory items such as sumptuous Shetland and lambs wool throws and pillows from Scarlet & Argent, who provide textiles for that royal family and heads of state globally. For fun and effortless one-stop-gift-shopping, Grace & Favor will also carry greeting cards featuring the clever hilarity of British illustrator Gemma Correll. And since no proper British home would be considered complete without its garden, there will also be a Garden section featuring what Brooke calls “ravishingly colored planters.”

The name Grace & Favor refers to an old British term. A Grace and Favor home is a residential property owned by The Crown and leased rent-free to particular people in gratitude for services rendered. Brooke chose the term both for its British derivation and its inherent implication that we should all live in homes filled with “Grace & Favor.”

As for the space itself, “There are great stories behind the property,” says Brooke. “It was originally built as a carriage house – then later used to store barrels of liquor during prohibition. I left the paint peeling off the brickwork and the oddly positioned windows to keep the environment interesting, to let it tell its own tale.” Of her prime location in Brooklyn's hottest shopping area she muses, “Discovering unusual stores is definitely part of the Williamsburg experience, going 'round a corner and finding something wonderful and unexpected is why I chose this particular area for Grace & Favor. I'm truly excited to be bringing the best of British design to my neighborhood.” For more information: http://www.gracefavor.com/

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