\nMatthew Ames has launched a gallery in the Berkshires where contemporary makers can shine. The fashion designer\u2013turned\u2013interior designer began mulling on the idea of a gallery a couple of years ago. \u201cI [wanted] to open a space really focused on craftsmanship at the highest level. I started thinking about where to do that, and I really wanted this place to be more of a destination as [opposed] to opening something in a city,\u201d he tells Business of Home. \u201cThis idea of Walker Street Market<\/a> started to come to life.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5._Walker_Street_Market_Lenox__MA_credit_Chris_Mottalini_10153.jpg\" "\\"The")
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\nThe space displays the work of more than 70 artists and designersChris Mottalini\n<\/p>\n
Ames ended up choosing the Berkshire Hills in Massachusetts\u2014a region he had visited frequently when he lived in New York. \u201cIt\u2019s always been a retreat for people from the city, but also has a really interesting long history of the arts and craft,\u201d he says. \u201cThe Shakers settled here and had a community centuries ago, and their life and work is very focused on craftsmanship. Since then, a lot of artists and creative people, writers and musicians have discovered this area over the past 150 years and made it their home.\u201d He found an early-20th-century building that had formerly housed a general store and department store in the historic village center of Lenox. \u201cI just fell in love with its history,\u201d he shares. \u201cIt had such beautiful architecture and a lot of original interior elements. It was the perfect place with so many layers of history and stories to tell.\u201d<\/p>\n
The space was originally three storefronts that Ames ultimately combined to display the work of more than 70 artists and designers. Each piece was crafted specifically for the gallery, and is made to order. The work on display is by woodworker George Sawyer of Sawyer Made, ceramist Simone Bodmer-Turner, furniture designer Danny Kaplan<\/a> and lighting designer Ashley Joseph Martin, among others. \u201cThe artists\u2014whether they\u2019re working through a more traditional lens or a contemporary one\u2014all really have their own voice and sensibility,\u201d says Ames.<\/p>\n Two of the storefronts were combined to create the permanent gallery. \u201cAs you walk through the space, I wanted it to feel very welcoming and warm, like they were able to engage with the work,\u201d he says. \u201cSo much of it is so tactile, and I wanted people to feel like they could interact with it, pick things up, sit on things. This space is organized [to be] a sensory experience.\u201d The design features the original tin ceilings and trails off into side rooms that were once loading docks. One library room houses ceramics, baskets, books and smaller decorative items, while another is pantry-inspired with a large wall-mounted plate rack on the wall that\u2019s filled with tablewares and kitchenwares. \u201cThe work is organized and arranged in a way that reflects how we live with objects and pieces that surround us every day\u2014a mix of furniture, woodcraft, lighting, textiles, ceramics, glasswork and metalwork,\u201d Ames explains.<\/p>\n \nThe exterior of the galleryChris Mottalini\n<\/p>\n The remaining former storefront is a gallery that will play host to a rotating selection of shows and workshops (including an upcoming one where artist Megumi Shauna Arai teaches attendees how to make noren, Japanese textile dividers). \u201cThis exhibition space allows me to tell these stories of the artists and their processes, and get to show new work and new ideas throughout the year, and also bring artists in to do workshops and talks,\u201d says Ames.<\/p>\n He believes Walker Street Market\u2019s nature-oriented location allows for a deeper communion with the work. \u201cI always felt like when I would leave the city and experience art and design in a place that wasn\u2019t urban, I always had a different experience with it,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen you come up [to the Berkshires] you automatically slow down and have space to breathe and think about this work in a different way than you might approach it in a more bustling environment.\u201d 22 Walker St., Lenox, Massachusetts<\/p>\n California Massachusetts New York \nPaint company Farrow & Ball unveiled its new \u201cStudio\u201d concept in its Brooklyn showroomMax Burkhalter\n<\/p>\n North Carolina Arhaus<\/a> has relocated its Charlotte showroom from SouthPark Mall to The Village at SouthPark. The 35,000-square-foot space\u2014the brand\u2019s second-largest showroom location\u2014boasts a collection of the Minnesota-based company\u2019s furniture lines as well as complimentary design services for clients. 4320 Sharon Road, Charlotte<\/p>\n Pennsylvania South Carolina![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0._Walker_Street_Market_Lenox__MA_credit_Chris_Mottalini_10010.jpg\" "\\"The")
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\nCanadian furniture brand Article<\/a> opened a showroom in San Francisco\u2019s Design District, the company\u2019s first U.S. location. The outpost showcases a selection of furniture across the living, dining, bedroom, office and outdoor categories. 2299 Alameda St., San Francisco<\/p>\n
\nLuxury outdoor furnishings brand Brown Jordan<\/a> launched a dedicated showroom inside Cabot House Furniture in Framingham, moving from its previous location at the Boston Design Center. The 5,000-square-foot space displays a comprehensive selection of the company\u2019s collections\u2014including Luca, Palmetto and Solenne\u2014as well as finishes, fabrics and customization options. 220 Worcester Road, MA-9, Framingham<\/p>\n
\nPaint company Farrow & Ball<\/a> unveiled its new \u201cStudio\u201d concept in its Brooklyn showroom. Having launched in London in 2024, the Studio initiative centers on consultation. The walls are swathed in the brand\u2019s Strong White to act as a blank canvas, and the company\u2019s palette of 132 swatches is displayed from hanging color pucks on the wall, alongside a rotating selection of wallpapers. To showcase its exterior paints, the brand transformed the backyard into an outdoor showroom designed by local landscape designer Brook Klausing. 383 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn <\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2026June_Farrow_BallBrooklyn_25861_V1.jpg\" "\\"The")
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\nThis Friday, Design Within Reach<\/a> will officially open a showroom in Raleigh, the brand\u2019s second location in North Carolina. Spanning 4,790 square feet, the store boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, reclaimed oak flooring, custom millwork and recycled pale brick, and displays a curated assortment of furniture, lighting and accessories from brands like Herman Miller, Knoll, Louis Poulsen and Fritz Hansen. 4351 The Circle at North Hills Ave., Suite 103, Raleigh<\/p>\n
\nCambria<\/a> unveiled a new 32,500-square-foot sales and distribution center and showroom in King of Prussia. The showroom features a selection of quartz styles and colors in full slabs, a library with samples, and kitchen and bath displays. 511 Feheley Drive, King of Prussia<\/p>\n
\nDecorative flooring brand Hue & Dot<\/a> by Mirth Studio opened a showroom in the Charleston Design District. The brand\u2019s first showroom spans 1,400 square feet and showcases the company\u2019s flooring patterns, wall trims and borders; a selection of rugs and runners; and designer collaborations from both Hue & Dot and Mirth Studio. Storehouse Eight, 2158 Noisette Blvd., North Charleston<\/p>\n