NEW BEGINNINGS: Every season is delightful at Blue Raccoon, but spring, with its focus on hope, new beginnings, and transformation, is especially welcome at this iconic home, gifts, and design store in Lambertville. Owner and creative designer Nelson Zayas (left) and manager Cindy Philo are shown in front of a series of handcrafted items, made in the U.S.A., from the store’s wonderfully eclectic selection.

Approaching 25 years in business, Blue Raccoon Home Furnishings remains a delightful emporium to visit. Whether one is in a mood to browse or to buy, the shopping experience at this charming store is always a pleasure. And few customers leave empty-handed!

Opened in 1993, and located at 6 Coryell Street in Lambertville for most of the ensuing years, it is owned by Nelson Zayas, who is also the creative designer.

Mr. Zayas, with long experience as an interior designer, handles the buying and design/decor of the store, as well as many interior design projects in customers’ homes. Providing an attractive, inviting presentation of the merchandise and a warm, friendly atmosphere is key, he explains.

“Presentation is everything. We want the store to appeal to all the senses — sight, sound, scent, and texture. Also, the store changes every season; it’s really a transformation. We start with the fabrics, then the colors, the rugs, accessories, lighting, and we always want to introduce new colors, scents, and sounds.”

Special Focus

Added to that is a special focus on customer service, points out manager Cindy Philo. “We really emphasize customer service. That is the most important thing. After all, you can pretty much buy anything anywhere, and we want to make the shopping experience welcoming for people.

“Also, we work hard to have a good variety of merchandise. I look forward to all the new items coming in. Every week to two weeks, we get new things. Nelson is always keeping ahead of the trend.”

Before joining Blue Raccoon six years ago, Ms. Philo was an attorney in Philadelphia, and later worked in economic development. When she decided she wanted a career change, she found a whole new opportunity at Blue Raccoon.

“I always had a creative bent, and this really appealed to me,” she explains. “I love the presentation of the store, and the way it emphasizes a textural experience, focusing on the senses and the visual. We try to give you ideas — a vignette of what you can do in your own home.”

Interestingly, the name of the store was chosen for its focus on texture, recalls Mr. Zayas. “The raccoon gives a sense of texture. We wanted the name to have a sense of fun and color and texture — like the store.”

Ideas for home decor abound at Blue Raccoon, and the store is indeed richly textured. Everything on display is pleasing to the eye, and it is obvious that much care and attention has been given to every detail.

Form and Function

Customers will find an intriguing range of items suitable for weddings, graduations, and other events, as well as a wide selection of appealing hostess gifts — and certainly many choices to please yourself! Everything from from soap, candles, and clocks to lamps, rugs, pillows, photo frames, and framed art to glassware, earthenware, and furniture is available.

With their superb taste and the ability to present the merchandise so engagingly, Mr. Zayas and Ms. Philo have focused on a selection that is both practical and imaginative. The items at Blue Raccoon emphasize form and function, decorative and durable.

“We make sure that our products are both beautiful and useful,” points out Ms. Philo. “We do our best to offer things not found everywhere else, and we try to be as unique as possible. Our customers have great taste, and we always have their preferences in mind. Items are both domestic and imported, and handcrafted choices are a big focus for us.

“Many of our items are made in the U.S., including all of our upholstery. We know its quality, we know where it’s from, how it’s made, and that they take their work seriously. That is our signature.

“A lot of our accessories are artisanal, such as the solid beeswax candles, made by hand,” continues Ms. Philo. “They are smokeless and take a very long time to burn. They are also so beautifully crafted that they can be a purely decorative item. We have another line of candles from Tatine, a company in Chicago. They are made by a self-taught parfumer, who creates her own scents. They are fabulous, unique.”

Another intriguing item is an organic beeswax cloth, used to wrap food and store leftovers, says Ms. Philo. “It’s made of cloth, tree resin, and jojoba oil. It can be reused (just washed with cold water), and it lasts for a year. Then, it can be recycled or composted. This is a new item, and it is also available in sandwich wraps.”

Hard-to-Resist

In fact, every time one looks around, another hard-to-resist item pops up. For example: “S’Well Bottles.” In a variety of colors and designs, these beverage bottles will keep a drink cold or hot for 24 hours. In two sizes, 17 or 25 ounce, they are fun and functional at $35 or $45.

“They are really wonderful and so popular,” reports Ms. Philo. “They also help to reduce the use of plastic bottles, and the company partners with UNICEF U.S.A., committing $800,000 to help provide clean and safe water to the world’s most vulnerable communities.”

Dog owners will be delighted to find “Mr. Dog New York,” a line of very sturdy dog toys, which are handmade in the U.S. In addition, and also handmade, food and water bowls, designed to keep the contents from dripping onto the floor, are available from Portland, Oregon.

Cookbooks, cocktail books, tea towels, and trays are among the wide-ranging selection, as is the extensive line of Savon Noir French cleaning products made with olive oil. Another cleaning product company, Caldrea, offers everything from dish soap and room freshener sprays to countertop cleaners, laundry detergent, and more — all with lovely fragrances.

A super cleaning duster-type tool from France is sure to please the most discriminating housekeeper. With a long handle of French birch wood, it features a silk brush at the end, which offers cleaning opportunities in the tightest places. It lasts a lifetime, says Ms. Philo.

Photo frames abound, including a most unusual model, with a solid brass frame, highlighting a floating feather within. The feather can be removed and replaced by a photo, or retained for a very appealing decorative look.

Farm Tables

Furniture, lamps, and rugs are favorites at the store, with the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams line and the Rowe Furniture sofas and chairs especially popular. In addition, Blue Raccoon offers its own line of custom-made farm tables, including solid cherry for fine dining, and the more informal pine (from different barns) and hard wood combination.

The Chilewich Rug Company in Georgia has a terrific line of vinyl-type indoor/outdoor rugs in assorted sizes: runners, door mats, utility, and large full-size. “They come in a variety of designs, can be shaken, vacuumed, or hosed off,” says Ms. Philo. “They are very durable, and the line also offers placemats.”

Cocktail napkins, tea towels, glassware (including platinum-rimmed Loren Rock multi-use glasses for juice, water, or spirits) and much more are on display, as is a selection of superb soap. Triple-milled from France, and in many scents, these soaps are among the very best sellers at the store. The wonderfully fragrant sea “Essence” has become a signature item.

Customers include many regulars and come from all over the area and beyond (including Manhattan and the Jersey Shore) to see the latest at Blue Raccoon. With its wide range of prices — from $2 for forged iron nails up to $10,000 for furniture specialties, and every price in-between, including many items below $50 and $100, the store has something for every budget.

“We really do have something at all price points,” adds Ms. Philo. “And the customers are like family for us. We get to know them and their style, what they like. I love meeting all the different people and getting to know them. We work very hard to please the customers and get everything right for them. We want to make everyone comfortable, and you don’t have to buy but can just enjoy browsing to get ideas. There is no pressure. We want you to have a great experience with us.”

Blue Raccoon offers complimentary gift packaging, gift cards, as well as online shopping at shoptiques.com. The store is open Monday through Wednesday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m.  to 6 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. (609) 397-5500. Website: www.blueraccoon.com. Instagram: blueraccoonhome.