PRESS

Swedish-American Simplicity

Scandinavian furnishings and accessories find a welcoming home in a Colonial New England farmhouse-turned-antique shop

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVEN RANDAZZO

PRODUCED BY JENNIFER VREELAND

People always say you should never go into business with a friend," says antiques dealer Rhonda Eleish, "but for Edie and me, it has been the fulfillment of a childhood dream." Three years ago, Rhonda, a former merchandising executive, and best friend, Edie van Breems, a photographer, opened Eleish van Breems Antiques, a Woodbury, Conn., shop specializing in Swedish antiques and home design. "Starting a business together is something Edie and I had talked about since middle school," says Rhonda.

"And when the time was right, the idea of opening a shop devoted to Scandinavian antiques just seemed natural." Edie's mother is Swedish-American, Rhonda's aunt deals antiques in Stockholm, and both women loved the elegance and accessibility of Swedish country interiors. "One day we found this 1760s farmhouse [above], and by five o'clock that evening, the deposit was down," Edie recalls. required by local zoning to be 50 percent residential and 50 percent commercial, the property leant itself well to Edie and Rhonda's concept of a shop that looked and felt like a fully functioning family home. "We want our customers to feel almost as if they were stepping into another country," says Rhonda, whose private residence is located upstairs from the shop. "...A country very close in spirit to their own," Edie concludes.

April 2000 | COUNTRY LIVING 143