Coastal Consignments Brings Beach Chic to Westerly

With so many beautiful beaches surrounding us, we Rhode Islanders are pretty spoiled with picture-perfect settings and generous ocean breezes. But as wonderful as that can be, we also know that we can also expect plenty of stifling, humid days that not even the most pleasant gust of heavenly beach air can touch.

During one of these steamy, humid stretches I made my way to the beautiful area of downtown Westerly and found some relief from the elements when I walked through the doors of Coastal Consignments of Westerly.

The color palette of vibrant teal and sun-kissed sandy-beige was welcoming and refreshing. I immediately felt as though I were a guest in a dear aunt’s seaside cottage – one filled with treasures evoking cool, coastal charm.

I was greeted warmly by the store’s owner, Suzanne Martell. As I began to poke around this expansive store, I couldn’t help but notice how much attention to detail Suzanne paid to her customer’s desires.

Having opened for business in October, Coastal Consignments is definitely not your mother’s antique/consignment store. Yes, it’s definitely laced with a nostalgic appeal offering classic pieces like solid hope chests and sturdy oak dressers, but the atmosphere is bright and airy and the entire inventory is thoughtfully organized and arranged to make shopping easy yet fun.

As a gal whose just come off an entire tropical home makeover (if I can’t get to the Caribbean every year, I’ll bring the islands to me!) I was tickled to find so many beachy items that were fresh, updated and my favorite – affordable. Everything from hand- painted accent tables to crisp, white wicker chairs were available throughout this roomy store with decorative accessories, paintings, candles and wall art – most with a nautical flair just waiting to be discovered.

Suzanne has long been passionate about great home and furniture finds and credits one of her childhood friend’s mother for introducing her to the delightful treasure hunts that were uncovered nearly every Saturday morning when they would go flea marketing and to yard sales. “My friend’s mother had a real eye for finding great stuff and taught me what to look for with certain brand names, quality and just how to put a room together from start to finish with other people’s gently-used belongings,” shares an exuberant Suzanne.

Born and raised in the Westerly area, she is proud to open her own business in the heart of her hometown and is also pleased to make it a family affair with her cousin, Michelle Russell, as her bubbly assistant – a familiar face to the regulars who stop by on a weekly basis to check out the new merchandise that arrives almost daily.

Coastal Consignments caters to home décor so you won’t find clothing, baby items, china, collectible glassware or electronics. Suzanne explains that the store is a consignment store with a twist – a boutique-like setting featuring upscale classic, contemporary, antique and unique décor and furnishings for the home. They also feature artesian jewelry, homemade soaps and handcrafted coastal art.

“The continuous introduction of new items inspires our clients’ decorating senses and instills a desire to return and see what’s new,” she adds.

As an avid reader I totally fell in love with their quaint book nook where I found classics, chick-lit beach bag must-haves and even scrumptious cookbooks. A sweet, hand-painted kitchenette set catches my eye along with some over-sized pottery-style serving dishes – perfect for my gang of eight kids. The spacious layout of the store is perfect for strollers and they are very family-friendly, so if you want to head out to do some shopping for your home you can definitely bring the kids along. Parking is also plentiful, adding to the convenience of your Coastal experience.

New consignors are always welcome, and Suzanne notes that they even have an eBay account. In addition to their well-stocked in-store inventory, Coastal Consignments also has an updated website that features some of their popular pieces along with other helpful information for both customers and consignors. And for folks that can’t find what they’re looking for, they’d be happy to put your requests on their popular wish list.

With August here, it’s the perfect time to sneak away from a day at the beach and check out some coastal inspiration for your home or rental property.

Coastal Consignments of Westerly 100 Main Street, Westerly. 315-2255.