One glance around Periwinkle Interiors on West Broadway and it becomes blatantly obvious — this is like no other shop in town, which is just the way designer and owner Terri Bennett wants it.
Most every item in the store, which opened in mid-October in the building which formerly housed the Irish Sea Celtic Shop, has a story behind it.
“I try to get things people can’t find,” said Bennett, whose Danish and mid-century modern style is distinctive. “I look for pieces with a unique or well-designed aesthetic to it.”
On her way to show off wooden screens made by Midway artist Anna Gregory, Bennett bends to pick up a wool-covered footstool reminiscent of an old-school Afro. Instead of using sheepskins, the artist felts the back of sheered clippings to make her sheep-friendly products, the designer explained.
Many items in the shop beg to be touched. After caressing a wool rug with a contemporary pattern, Bennett pauses, glancing at a box containing a lamp, which she ordered for a client.
“There aren’t many places around here that you can see or buy a lamp,” she added, pointing out half a dozen lamps she has positioned around the shop.
Unlike most local business owners who attend AmericasMart Atlanta, a wholesale marketplace for home décor, gifts and apparel, Bennett travels to Las Vegas Market for one-of-kind finds. The western market has a completely different vibe than its eastern counterpart, she added.
Periwinkle Interiors is also home to original art. Currently, Frankfort native Debra Kay Guess’ art covers a wall in the shop.
“I am a firm believer in original art (over prints) because it supports the artist,” Bennett stated, as she led the way to a small room that was rented out to another local artist. That artist recently moved out of the temporary location, that Bennett calls “an incubator,” and into a full lease farther down Broadway Street.
Bennett also plans to use the kitchen area, which can comfortably fit 20-25 people, for different events. A cozy outdoor area will contain a fire pit and outdoor furniture for sale during the summer months.
Until then, Periwinkle Interiors also carries faux fur blankets and may expand into a select line of apparel, she said.
“I wanted something different down here to feed bourbon tourism,” Bennett, who serves on the Downtown Frankfort Inc. board, remarked. “More retail options makes downtown more of a destination.”
Bennett also runs her interior design business, specializing in modern and livable designs for residential spaces, out of the shop.
Periwinkle Interiors is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m.to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The shop is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
For more information, visit www.periwinkleinteriors.com.
