Devon House Owners: An Existence Of Art And Creation

When a vacation is not at your fingertips, a stroll down Water Street to Stonington Point with a visit to the does the trick. “Windows out into the world” is how owner Robert Mead describes the unique store’s gallery of paintings. 

The store, also outfitted with reclaimed vintage furniture, sculpture made of recycled bits and antiques, has been a constant work of transition from what started as antiques to what is now an eclectic mix of artistic treasures for one to spend a lazy afternoon enjoying.

Originally New Yorkers from Westchester, Devon House Owners Marguerite and Robert Mead met in art school and spent years in New York, Robert as an art director and photographic agent and Marguerite as a photographer and videographer.

Married in 1976, Robert’s business was international.

”We were free to move anywhere and we fell in love with Mystic,” Marguerite said. Robert added, ”The art community, location and waterfront drew us in.” 

With an interest in antiques and art, the Meads had been collecting furniture for years. So in 2002, they combined their passion and talents with the opening of the Devon House.

After two years in business, we noticed a downward trend of the interest in antiques,” Robert said.

The borough, once a well known destination for antique hunting, changed over time and lost over two-thirds of its antique stores, but in the process gained more retail diversity. 

Listening to the client, the Meads discovered people often had a desire to change a design element of antiques.

“People would come in and say, I wish that table had different legs, so we began building antiques that fit, using all reclaimed vintage woods,” Robert said.

Artwork was the next addition and well know scenic painter, Leif Nilsson was the first painter to sell at the store followed by a plethora of other national landscape artists.

The antique store morphed into a unique gallery filled with spectacular reclaimed benches made of 1697 Pilgrim wood, a vintage bowling alley table, sculptures made entirely from reclaimed piano parts and a vast array of modern and traditional landscape paintings.

In keeping with the antique theme, the Meads share their story and well known local lore of the old ghost, residing in their shop which some believe to be an old resident shop owner. 

“We came in the morning many times and found the easels fallen down and locked into position, 4 or 5 at the same time,” Robert said. “That happened over a period of a couple of years. When we moved in, a former tenant of the space warned us that you are never here alone.” 

They find humor in their idea of a ghost and Robert jokes that their guest gets plenty of culture in the space but Robert wishes the ghost would purchase some art.

On days away from the Devon House, the Meads are found antique hunting, meeting with local artists and photographing local sites with a vintage Diana camera. Although they take little time off, they enjoy the respite of their secluded Stonington country home.

”Our whole existence is art and creating,” Robert said. “We offer something unique to the region which is our spin on a gallery—something constantly evolving. That’s the exciting part of it.”