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67 A fter a brief sabba- tical, Jill Brown's b e l o v e d h o m e furnishings store, B r o w n , h a s reemerged with fresh interiors, a new point of view, and a different name. Think of Brown House and Wares as autobiography. "It's my personal aesthetic, and we will carry a lot of my favorite things," Brown says. "We've opened everything up and repainted in the dark, moody palettes I love." To source uncommon new products, she traveled to Paris, Amsterdam, and London in January and has spent countless hours researching artisan- made goods around the U.S. "I really love pottery, so there will be lots of handcrafted American clay pieces, along with marbled heritage pottery from Italy and France," Brown says. "I'll have some blue-and-white pottery — every time I go to Holland, my appreciation of Delftware grows. It still looks fresh." Brown is crazy for pretty textiles, and she's brought back embroidered linen hand towels from Italy and primitive-looking linen throws woven by a Minnesota artist in grays, gold, and salmon hues. One of her favorite new categories for the store is utility, including France-based Andrée Jardin brooms, dustpans, and brushes, all beautifully designed in wood and natural bristles. She built a large center counter to hold a collection of "remedies" such as beeswax polishes, and natural laundry soaps. She's also stocking small-batch apple butter from Detroit that's "so good, you can eat it from the jar," she says. While the focus is on small, deco- rative and gift-worthy items you can't find anywhere else, you'll still be able to source antique furniture from Europe, along with vintage and custom brass lighting from Belgium that's been a staple of Brown since it opened in 2001. It's all set against an elegantly rustic backdrop of wood floors painted in army drab green and richly hued walls and cabinets that range from bark to eggplant, to light blue. Brown first fell in love with uncommon paint colors while living in Belgium during the '90s, and the deep pigments give a sophisticated spin to the store's useful and exquisitely designed small goods and supplies, which remind her of her Midwestern youth. "This new chapter feels like a return to my roots," she says. Brown House and Wares, 2940 Ferndale St., brownhouseandwares.com. Brown House and Wares' kitchen and utility department, with soaps and cleaning tools. White and blue pottery made in Pennsylvania. Handmade wood and natural- bristle cleaning tools by Andrée Jardin, Paris.