Black Bird Home Gallery, owned by Wayne and Mindy Rollins, opened late last year on Main Street in a historic building with just the right rustic wood floors and lofty second floor to complement cool California furnishings from hot new companies like Oly Studio and Noir. In fact, Wayne introduced me to Oly when I was shopping for a special section in Sarasota Magazine on animal-inspired home furnishings (May 2010). I fell in love with their white Ari table ($875) with paws for legs—which you can also see in the September 2010 issue of House Beautiful (page 118). And in Veranda magazine’s September spread on Comfortable Glamour, check out Oly’s chandelier and consoles—plus the stunning side table Wayne has in the store (page 104).

Wayne Rollins in his Zen-like and gorgeous Blackbird Home Gallery on Main Street.

I don’t know about you, but I give local stores extra credit points when I see they’re stocking merch way before it hits the magazines. It confirms the owner’s style acumen and vision. So…when I walked into Coquillage, which opened on Main Street in July—I was literally blown away to find lamps and accent furniture that were big hits at 2010 summer markets in Atlanta and Vegas. These pieces were introduced to retail buyers in July and already on the sales floor in Sarasota. Store owner Melanie Ann Denicourt has more than good taste; she has good connections, having been accessories buyer and merchandiser for home furnishings stores Leath and Modernage, and for Builder’s Design, a company that furnishes model homes across the country.

Serene contemporary coastal living room vignette with white driftwood candelabra and a sophisticated water bird scene by one of Wayne’s favorite artists, Clint Bearden of North Carolina.

While Black Bird Home Gallery skews more to Zen-like contemporary with a West Coast edge, Coquillage presents a new amalgam of Belgian/Swedish/French country styles that’s also garnering lots of ink in design magazines. The dining room created by celeb designer Marshall Watson for Traditional Home’s 2010 Hamptons Showhouse has two of Aidan Gray’s Palm Topiary planters flanking the table. These same topiaries were instant best sellers at Coquillage. The Paris armchair and ottoman, bronzed mirrors and finials, also from Aidan Gray, look just as good in the Sarasota store as they do in magazines.

 
The tongue-in-cheek Ari side table featured in Sarasota Magazine in May is a hit with national design editors.

Best of all, both Black Bird Home Gallery and Coquillage carry small gift items, so you can buy a bit of the look (for yourself or a friend) until you succumb (and you will ) to a complete makeover.

 
Shades of California’s redwood forests, this real root table is actually teak wood, but it’s the essence of relaxed West Coast style.

  
The Serena chandelier (to order) and Meri side table (in the store) for hip sophistication to coastal interiors.

Coquillage, 1515 Main St., Sarasota, (941) 487-7160

Melanie Ann Denicourt in her bright and airy new store Coquillage (that’s French for sea shells).


A skylight casts a dreamy glow over everything in the store, including topiaries from Aidan Gray.


Melanie can’t keep these planters and branch sconces in stock; I love the painted chest of drawers too.

 
Beachy but grownup-cool: a shell necklace lamp and fisherman’s cable platter and vase.


Great country Swedish chairs and mirrors complete the mélange of whitewashed furniture and architectural elements.


Sarasota residents are getting creative: someone bought this driftwood mirror to use as the top of their coffee table.