Find Comfort in Cocooning at Nest in Millerton

When times are harsh, people find comfort at home. And when you're home a lot, you want to fluff up your nest. This impulse for "cocooning," as trend forecaster Faith Popcorn labeled it back in the 1980s, is a constructive way of coping. 'We are nesting now,'' she said in a 1985 interview with The New York Times. ''We are trying to protect ourselves from a harsh and unpredictable world.'' Sound familiar? The three women who opened Nest in December—Lisa Foster of Salisbury, Mary Harvey of Lakeville, and Ellen Hubbard of West Cornwall—have filled their narrow Millerton shop with an eclectic assortment of new and vintage furniture and accessories, the sort of well-bred items that have timeless style.

"We've been selling a lot of pillows, lamps, and small things like soap dishes," says Harvey. The women, who previously had booths in antiques centers in Great Barrington and Millbrook, decided that their styles meshed in a way that would make for a cozy shop. "Lisa tends to to find old pieces of furniture and refurbish them," says Harvey. "Ellen makes pillows and finds great accessories, and I tend to bring in the larger and upholstered pieces." Business has been better than expected and they make shoppers feel welcome by not giving them sticker shock: pillows cost $65 - $125, a large lacquered mirror is $300, and an octagonal English oak table is $425. "People actually thank us for keeping things reasonably priced," says Harvey.