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Cold Comfort: Perk Up Your House at Pine Cone HIll
One surefire cure for the gloomy news from Wall Street and gray skies overhead is a trip to the cheery Pine Cone HIll Outlet Store [left] on Route 7 in Lenox (413.637.1996), which is overflowing with colorful comforters, blankets, sheets, rugs, dishes, pillows and pajamas. While Pine Cone Hill products are now sold in 2,000 shops across American, there’s only a single outlet store and it’s in our backyard because Pine Cone Hill is run by Stockbridge native Annie Selke and has its headquarters in Pittsfield, MA.
Selke has managed to build a global brand by staying close to home, and you will recognize items at the outlet from catalogs like Garnet Hill and LL Bean. Unlike other so-called factory stores that sell lower-quality items manufactured specifically for their outlets, Pine Cone HIll sells first-quality overstocks and items that have slight imperfections. This week, you could buy a tweedy, log-cabin-style, patchwork queen-size quilts for $75 or a wide array of floral king size quilts for $130. There were “henna tattoo” candles for $5 (a great house gift), ruffled dessert plates for $7, large serving bowls for $14, and winsome cotton pajamas for $28.
If bargain hunting is not your priority, walk across the parking lot to the Pine Cone Hill: The Home Store, which is a full-service design shop with sparkling vignettes that will give you loads of decorating ideas for your house. You can see the full range of products that Selke manufactures, including Dash & Albert Rugs and Potluck Studios’ dishes and linens, as well as lamps, sofas, books and antiques that complement Selke’s upbeat take on country style.
Natural curiosities: ladder/chair, $262; “moose” head, $875; stone finial, $460.
Dash & Albert cotton rugs, 2’ x 3’ ($28) to 9’ x 12’ ($385), are machine-washable.
Pine Cone Hill Home offers design consulting services; the first home visit is free.
Olivia “puff,” a Euro-style featherbed; full/queen, $350. Mae pillows, $68 - $168.
