ORIGIN: Bantam Tileworks was founded in 2005 by Darin…read moreRonning and Travis Messinger. LOCATION: The studio/shop is located on a corner of Bantam's main thoroughfare -- Route 202. CONCEPT: The studio/shop produces handmade, custom-glazed tiles and tableware. EXPERIENCE: Walking into the shop I was warmly greeted by one of the employees, who also encouraged me to visit the studio in the back where two co-workers were painting glaze on tiles while chatting. Photo-taking was approved. Custom tiles can be intimidating as the cost is much higher than Home Depot, however the support and guidance from employees deflates much of this worry. The process of glazing, and color variations that result, were patiently explained to me. I was encouraged to take tile color sample at home, with no need to return, in order to see how the colors would appear in the intended setting. Depending on budget, a single decorative tile to a room wrapped in tile is given the same levels of care and guidance. As I browsed another customer was selecting glaze for some tableware. Glazed mugs are an inexpensive way to bring the beautiful colors into a home, with a cost of $15 to $20 each. TIPS: Contact information for expert tile installers who have experience with Bantam Tileworks are provided.

The work from Bantam is excellent at very reasonable prices. Will definitely visit again!read more

My husband and I decided to add on a first floor bedroom and bath, as well as an all-season porch…read moreto our 60's colonial home. It became a "while you're at it" project, and we wound up gutting the whole first floor, as well as the 2 upstairs bathrooms. Kevin joined us at the outset and immediately grasped our life style and our tastes and created spaces that reflect who we are and the way we live. He miraculously updated the interior while maintaining the original colonial architecture and character, creating timeless spaces. He was generous with his time and energy, giving us time to make choices and decisions, gently nudging us in another direction when he intuitively knew we would be happier with the end result. Kevin maintained a positive attitude throughout the process, buoying up us as we hit all the inevitable snags and delays, and remains a good friend and advisor to this day. He comes with our highest compliments and recommendation.

Kevin Dix designed a new build of a 3600 sq ft coastal vacation home used by my family a friends…read more He quickly understood my goals for the property and was able to translate that into an architectural design that fit the way I wanted to use the home. The house beautifully fit on the island where it is located and Kevin designed the home to take into account the best attributes of my lot. He also took care of all of the design as well with thoughtful interior finishes that beautifully fit the form and function of the vacation home. He worked from the beginning to get our feedback on the direction he was recommending and to unify the big picture decisions for the build with the details that would create the feel and style of the finished project. His vision in the architectural design was then effectively brought to life through excellent communications with the general contractor overseeing the construction after I selected a contractor using his design documentation in the bidding process. Our vacation home is a joy for my family and all of the extended family and friends with whom we share time in this special place. The design makes a wow first impression, but more importantly it has had an enduring quality for family and loved ones who love having time with one another in this home. I can't imagine how Ii would have built a vacation home like this without the vision and attention to detail that Kevin brought to the project.

Place was very cutely decorated! It was a lot smaller inside than I expected, and claustrophobic…read more There are only a few tables at the counter, a large round table that looked like 5-6 were sitting at, and 4-5 bar stools seats facing out the front window. There's an upstairs with a coffee table, a bean bag chair and two chairs (and lots of artists wares for sale on the wall). There are a few tables outside, so waiting until it's warm enough or ordering To-Go would be my suggestion. I shared pictures of the beautiful breakfast plates we received. The food was delicious! The sausage I asked for in my Eggs Benny was delicious! They were clearly homemade sausage that had a nice rosemary flavor. My husband's breakfast star was the chef made ham steak slices, and the rosemary sourdough toast. Yes, I recommend the food here! We were rather disappointed by the temperament of the person we assumed is the owner... when asked if they would please lower the music a little, because I'm healing from a traumatic brain injury (and it was blasting commercials and music; it wasn't a pleasant music track or album), said with an attitude "Sorry I can't control where the speakers are", and from that point seemed a lot less friendly. Her attitude didn't ruin the taste of the food, but this was a special outing (my first in 3 years since falling on black ice), near Goodspeed Opera House. This is a touristy area and people that run breakfast/brunch spots are usually friendly and eager to help with small requests. Often interactions with the restaurant staff adds greatly to the experience. Her sour grapes and refusal to help me feel comfortable by lowering it a smidge (I was already wearing noise cancelling ear buds, just so you understand how loud it was and that she didn't turn it down even a tiny bit), made breakfast less nice. We won't be returning ~ there are so many restaurants struggling to survive after Covid, we'd rather spend our time and money there.

This is a truly special shop - remarkable goods - delightful staff - all very helpfulread more

These ladies are absolute professionals and a pleasure to work with. They were timely and very…read moreresponsive to all of our concerns on our four season sunroom building project in Granby, CT. The distance was not an issue and their care and personal touch could be felt every step of the way.

Hired them to make custom drapes for my daughter's bedroom. They are 1-2 inches above the…read morefloor/too short and do not look custom at all! More importantly, when they installed the drapes, one of the trim pieces was frayed at the bottom. It looks like they ran out of trim and tried to make it work. Clearly an incompetent job...designer mismeasured the drape length and the fabrication was botched. An amateur job at best, and I am very disappointed I spent so much money and now have drapes that are too short and frayed. see photos. Avoid this business at all costs.

Lisa has such a creative vision for interior design. Her portfolio speaks for her talents. She…read morepossesses a wealth of knowledge and experience. I've worked with many designers, but Lisa Davenport is someone I'd recommend above all others.

From the owner: High end Interior Design firm, specializing in renovations, new construction and furniture design.read more

Bill Fairchild and construction crew did an outstanding job recreating our kitchen in a very timely…read moremanner. Highly recommend this team and very happy to enjoy our beautiful kitchen in time for Thanksgiving . Thank you Bill and Our House in Southbury Lynne and Bob

From the owner: Our House LLC DBA Our House Design and Construction is a family-owned business based upon…read moreintegrity, creativity, and innovative design. We have more than 10 years of experience in construction and home renovations, in the state of Connecticut and Westchester County, NY. From Concept to Completion...From wishes and Dreams into Reality...we increase the quality of your life and value of your home.

This store has a rare and beautifully curated selection of designer textiles. The few staff…read morepresent were so nice and open and lovely. Without being asked they said "feel free to take as many pictures you would like". In an "old money" colonial New England town where some shop owners can be prickly or even hostile this was a wonderful experience. The textiles were beyond beautiful. If you know and enjoy top tier fabrics you will lose your mind here. Silk screened linen, pure silks, embroidered rolls in EVERY style...this place is a creative persons dream come true. And with friendly, casual, giving staff? It really doesn't get better than this. The prices are FANTASTIC! Strangely, we ended up buying a vintage painting they had. I wish I lived near this store so I could visit weekly. However, if you're looking for something specific and you're far away they will send pictures to you. I wouldn't be surprised if they offered to send you a swatch too. It's a true gem and rarity, if you're ever within driving distance to this shop GO THERE IMMEDIATELY !

I brought two French armchairs to be reupholstered. The owner worked with me for about an hour…read morechoosing the right fabric. It took about three weeks to finish the job. They didn't require a deposit. The chairs look SPECTACULAR. The craftsperson removed some tufting, created new seat pillows and a denser cushion as well as new springs in the seat. My only complaint is that they never called me with the estimate and it ended up being more than I expected by about 30%. But, in a Safavieh catalog the chairs would have been much more in a lesser fabric, so I'm happy.