Bespoke vintage finds that complement nearly any aesthetic abound at Ray design shop in Greenport.
The East Front Street storefront — located behind Di Angela Leather, near Carpenter Street — features a treasure trove of epoch decor, original prints and objects for the home with a decidedly mid-century modern influence.
Proprietor Michael Aron and creative director Nola Lopez have an eye for curating the unique collection. Aron is a graphic designer and the former Director of Global Corporate Communications for Estée Lauder while Lopez is an award-winning photographer and illustrator whose work has appeared in The New York Times, In Style, W and Fortune, among others.
The couple’s personal collection of Scandinavian glass and pottery formed the basis of the collection. Lopez picked up many of the glass objects as subjects for her photographs throughout the years.
“The fun part is finding these pieces,” she said. “Everything here is either hand produced or manufactured in small editions. People get to take a little piece of art home with them.”
The part-time residents, who have owned a home on the North Fork since 2003, took over the space last August and opened Ray on Memorial Day Weekend. Aron said it was a longtime dream to leave the corporate world behind and open a design store. Its name is a nod to Michael’s uncle Ray Aron, an award-winning product and graphic designer, who introduced his nephew to the design world.
The Greenport store also serves as a studio for Aron to create framed prints and original art. The walls are lined with artwork and display areas designed like a gallery to showcase the home decor collection, which includes plates with piping plover designs, vases with simple, yet striking patterns and other pieces by makers from the iconic to obscure — mostly 60s and 70s pieces from defunct fabricators in Europe.
“Some people come in knowing the manufacturer,” Aron explained. “Then we have others who come in and buy the most beautiful purple Murano dish and I’ll say, ‘Oh, you’re a Murano collector?’ He said no, he just liked it… it matched his décor. He walked out with one of the best pieces in the shop.”
Ray also features works by local artists, including prints and a collection of handcrafted pillows design in collaboration with Aron and Lopez.
“The works are not specific to Greenport, but they are appropriate for modern life,” Aron said. “It appeals to a wide audience. The aesthetic goes with the North Fork.”
Ray is open on weekends from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and by appointment. Find them at 213 East Front Street in Greenport and stay up-to-date on their latest additions by following them on Instagram: @raydesignshop.