Bring home cheer with rugs from Chanticleer

KENT — A new home decorating shop called Chanticleer has opened in the Kent Green shopping plaza, offering yarns, hand-hooked rugs, furniture, home accessories, kits and products, by Claire Murray.

The store is owned by Cornwall Bridge native Nancy Hamilton, who for 12 years has worked as an independent interior designer.

“I became interested in Claire Murray after I started to read one of the company’s magazines,†Hamilton said. “In the winter, I went to an outlet store in Ascutney, Vermont, and I was impressed with their products. That’s why I decided to open a store here in Kent.â€

According to the Claire Murray Web site at clairemurray.com, there are 15 licensed boutiques on the east coast (in Connecticut, there is one in Old Saybrook).

“What also drew me into it was her designs and the unique colors each product has,†Hamilton said. “Claire Murray’s artistry is remarkable, with a good eye for detail. When you buy a Claire Murray rug, it’s like buying artwork for your floor.â€

The designs on the products are very New England in nature, whether it would be gardens, coastal designs, wildlife or floral patterns.

“I know people who have purchased five or six rugs and they still want more,†Hamilton said. “All of the products that we sell, whether it’s furniture, home accessories, even soap and body lotion, all incorporate Claire Murray’s designs.â€

Hamilton is also planning to sell yarn and other knitting supplies and to hold workshops and “knit-ins.â€

“My hope is to foster creativity and bring people together to enjoy a creative life,†Hamilton said.

Chanticleer is at 1Kent Green Blvd. in the Kent Green shopping plaza. It is open Monday to Saturday,  10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The store is closed on Tuesdays.

For more information call 860-927-3808 or e-mail chanticleer.shop@att.net. The store’s Web site, which will be located at chanticleerboutique.com, will debut some time in the fall.

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