This little light of mine

I was walking past Rue Faubourg St. Honore—the one in Greenwich, Connecticut; not Paris—and found the most incredible collection of antique and reproduction lighting and fireplace accessories. I never would have imagined the quantity of goods stuffed into the narrow space behind its tiny storefront. The owner, Jim Ryan, has ornamented nearly every inch of the tall walls with a unique assortment of good lighting in a variety of American and European styles. Some of my favorites were the Caldwell wall sconces and ceiling fixtures. Antique fireplace tools clustered the floor, filling the place with antique brass andirons, pokers, and shovels great for scooping out a winter's worth of reusable ashes.

Thanks to Jim, handmade reproductions of Early American lanterns now frame the front door of my 1927 Colonial Revival. In my entranceway, a pumpkin-shaped melon jar creates a play of fractured light. The store custom-finished some web-backed sconces to match the window and door hardware in my dining room. And the Faubourg's onion lanterns outside my renovated barn create an old-fashioned charm.

If you make it to Rue Faubourg, stand in the center of the room, turn slowly and soak in the lumens. I promise, the treasures surrounding you will really brighten your day.

—Carolyn Blackmar

Rue Faubourg St. Honore, 44 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT, 06830. Phone (203) 869-7139 or fax (203) 869-2918.