If the notion of New England home décor conjures images of
country-fair bric-a-brac that give you and your urban loft the heebie-jeebies,
think again. With J.E.M.(470 Shawmut Avenue, Boston,
617.391.0490), a new boutique opening September 16, designer Jane Miller pays
homage to the Northeast’s deeply rooted history by repurposing the past for
modern living. Much of the J.E.M. collection consists of Miller’s impressive,
one-of-a-kind furniture sculptures — usable pieces thoughtfully created using
rusty, salvaged relics of old mills and factories that flourished in New
England during America’s Industrial Revolution. We spied one particular
favorite: a bar cart created from an old dolly, with metal baskets appropriated
for storage drawers and a trodden-floorboard countertop. It’s the perfect piece
for displaying the store’s curios, such as collectible Jim Beam decanters from
the ’70s, ’60s, and earlier (many with booze still swishing inside), shaped
like trolleys, baseballs, and woodpeckers, and all priced under $100. Besides
Miller’s self-admittedly masculine salvage sculptures and her well-worn
antiques, the Connecticut-born, San Fran–trained South End designer also
carries original, strong, and sturdy items (including her own furniture pieces)
that blend an industrial aesthetic with natural woods and metals from New
England. Our Yankee eyes like what they see.
