Tag Archives: Farrow & Ball

Curtain Falls On Farrow & Ball, Sweet Frog

Two more popular-but-apparently-not-enough Westport stores have closed.

Farrow & Ball has vacated its Compo Acres spot, near Trader Joe’s. The UK-based paint-and-paper crafts shop’s website now directs customers to Greenwich, or one of the Ring’s End locations.

A year ago, Farrow & Ball’s intriguing window invited a peek inside.

Meanwhile, Sweet Frog has served its last frozen yogurt in the Fresh Market shopping center. The nearest Connecticut location is now Guilford.

Sweet Frog follows Peach Wave and Pinkberry out the Westport door. None of those national chains could cut it here.

So what’s the last frozen yogurt place left?

Top This – an independently owned (aka “mom and pop”) shop. It opened 8 years ago, when frozen yogurt stores were a new concept.

And Top This is downtown — just a few steps from Main Street, near the Post Road bridge.

One success story does not make a trend. On the other hand, they must be doing something right.

(Hat tips: Randall Hammond and Paul Sheldon)

Farrow & Ball’s Window On Westport

Unless you’re a 5th Avenue department store at Christmas, it’s tough to get folks to look in your window.

It’s especially difficult when you’re located next to Trader Joe’s in Westport. You’re set back from the Post Road — and who can pay attention when you’re weaving in and out of traffic at 40 miles an hour, anyway?

But that has not stopped Farrow & Ball from trying.

The intriguing Farrow & Ball window invites you to peek inside.

The intriguing Farrow & Ball window invites you to peek inside.

The UK-based paint-and-paper crafts shop has 14 US showrooms. As part of an AIDS awareness and fundraising initiative with DIFFA — Design Industry Foundation Fighting AIDS — each location chose a local designer to create a window based on the theme “Comfort and Cure.”

Westport’s Farrow & Ball selected Connie Cooper. She wanted to make her design intriguing from inside the store, as well as the street.

She imagined the vignette as the home office of an international doctor, home relaxing during the holidays. She found an antique bag from 1948, filled with all kinds of vintage doctor tools. It belonged to an actual naval physician.

And here's the view from inside.

And here’s the view from inside.

It’s a cool window. But you should do more than just glance at it, as you fly toward your parking space by Trader Joe’s.

Every time someone shares a photo of the window on social media (#FaBForDIFFA), the firm donates $1 to AIDS research.

It’s up for a couple of more weeks. So hurry! (But drive safely…)

(An open house at Farrow & Ball from 5-7 p.m. this Thursday [January 19] salutes window creator Connie Cooper. Guests receive a goody bag, while supplies last.)