Ain't life Grand: It is at a unique gifts and hardwares shop in Somerville

by Heather Bouzan, 04-22-2008

NESTLED ON an unassuming block in Union Square, Grand (374 Somerville Avenue, Somerville, 617.623.2429) is the kind of shop that tempts us to abandon practically everything we own in favor of its achingly cool design aesthetic. Many of the wares here are either exclusive to the store or tough to find in the area, and the prices are reasonable. The loft-like space, opened in mid-January by Jonathan O’Toole, Wendy Friedman, and Adam Larson, stocks housewares, gifts, apparel, and, in a few weeks, furniture — and O’Toole tells us that they’re open to trying just about anything.

A) Made of heavy-duty paperboard that’s both reusable and recyclable, Rock Scissor Paper’s coasters ($8) add charm to — and prevent watery rings on — any blah coffee table.

B) Re-Surface’s A-Light ($75), its design inspired by dilapidated building façades in New York, possesses both a gritty, urban quality and an unconventional loveliness. Grand also stocks similarly styled pillar candles by the same brand.

C) After an exhaustive search for a stylish-yet-affordable pillow, O’Toole and Co. settled on these cotton twill Thomas Paul pillows ($40) for their vivid, high-impact prints.

D) We picture the perfect hostess offering refreshments from these colorful, pressed-wood Isak trays ($40), which lend style to whatever’s perched atop them.

E) We can’t help but think Alice in Wonderland while admiring Roost’s Branch bone china collection ($17–$58). We love each piece’s idiosyncratic, organic form.

F) The quirky Japanese Tengu ($50) plugs into your USB port, changes expressions when you blow on him, and responds to sound; he’s an ideal companion for bored cubicle dwellers.

G) Screw welcome mats — the SUCKUK Come In/Go Away Doormat ($24) sends the perfect message.

H) One of the shop’s biggest sellers, the SUCKUK Sun Jar ($40), soaks up rays all day, then glows at night. It’s weatherproof, too, making it a perfect addition to your porch. @

[Photos by Kelly Davidson]

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