I could tell you stories about climbing trees as a boy, and secrets about tapping on their branches. There's something true to the core about trees; you can hug a tree as hard as you can and it's not going to break. The leaves replenish the earth and the air. It's almost eternal. From cradle to grave, there is wood in your life.

I'm Kerry Triffin, furniture designer and owner of Fairhaven Furniture, the Alternative Home Store in New Haven, Connecticut. The store — comprising three floors of furniture and accessories — offers an escape into a world that is pleasing to the senses in every way. Visitors to this sanctuary discover the fresh smell and smooth touch of furniture made from cherry, walnut, maple, ash and mahogany, as well as granite from the Connecticut shoreline town of Stony Creek.

I would say there's pretty much nothing we can't make for you in wood. Meeting your functional needs here is easy, which leaves you more freedom to explore the fun part. What if, in addition to doing everything you want it to do, the piece of furniture could also simply delight you or fill your heart with poetry every time you pass it? I believe in combining beauty and function when designing and purchasing items for the store. Furniture is not sacred. It's meant to be enjoyed and lived with. It's supposed to age — contributing to its emotional and economic value.

Elizabeth Orsini, my partner and wife, admits that she too is obsessed with what she does which is the gifts and accessories side of the store. "It's constantly exciting to me. I am always looking for new and inspiring products." We both find pieces by looking through magazines, attending furniture and craft shows in this country and abroad, driving the back roads of Vermont and West Virginia, and listening to suggestions from our customers. One of the reasons our business is distinctive is because we have so many suppliers — we don't order anyone's full line. We are very selective and responsive to our customers' preferences. Having 150 suppliers or more is a lot more work for our bookkeeper, but it pays off because we can offer individual appeal, almost like being the personal shopper for our customer base.