BHE Studio Offers Hip Spin on Furnishings Next Door

The contrast between the two stores is striking.

Walk into British Home Emporium at 91 Main St. and it can feel like a country home, true to the store's roots selling vintage and antique pine furniture from England. After nearly 20 years in business, 16 of those years in Madison, the product line has grown to include custom furniture in cherry, mahogany, oak and other woods, as well as lighting, original paintings, and custom cabinetry and upholstery.

Walk next door to BHE Studio at 89 Main St. and the look is hip and modern.

Despite what some British Home Emporium customers thought at first, BHE Studio not a competitor.

The husband and wife owners of British Home Emporium, Nina and George Karamallis, started renting the adjacent space in June after it became available when business Creighton Edward moved to Waverly Place.

After renovations, BHE Studio opened in November and has been a very successful way to showcase modern pieces in the proper environment, George Karamallis said. For every five or six customers who come in looking for traditional pieces, they have a customer seeking something more modern, he said.

Over the summer before BHE Studio opened, drop ceiling tiles were removed to reveal a high ceiling and air ducts. Laminate floor was torn up to expose concrete. A wall was moved to make the space feel larger. A shelving unit was installed and the store interior was painted a soft white.

Nina Karamallis said style in BHE Studio reflects the look in Cape Town, South Africa, with influences from nature, historical references, handmade pieces and original art. That contemporary look is not necessarily far removed from the "British" in British Home Emporium.

"There's lots of modernism in British design," she said.

Describing BHE Studio, she said it is "eclectic, as we always are, but within a more modern sensibility."

British Home Emporium also has interior design services—its work has been featured at Mansion in May—and works with shops to offer a variety of custom pieces.

Recently, a customer specified where on a table they wanted distress marks, essentially dents to make the table look old. In particular, they did not want distress marks around where they ate. They were able to accommodate that request.

On another project last month, a designer took measurements at a home with an off-center fireplace and was developing ways to improve the room's look.

"In general, that's what we're always doing: finding design solutions that are innovative as well as beautiful," Nina Karamallis said.