It might be best described as 'sophisticated comfort.' Stratmann describes her preferences as 'eclectic,' though she allows there's a definite aesthetic at Left Bank.

And the idea of juxtaposing something that's really contemporary with something that's antique is what I look to.'

'Shape-wise, texture-wise and color-wise. 'What I've tried to do in here is bring together a collection of old things and new things, all of which have something really lovely about them,' Stratmann explains. She also stocks homewares from artisanal lines and handmade craft items she found online or picked up during her travels.ĭuring a recent visit, Stratmann shows off a floor-to-ceiling pole lamp an antique leather chest from Mali a sumptuously soft, double-woven throw from Scotland a 'sculptural' leather chair with distressed cowhide and a contemporary red rug that adds pop to a corner heavy on brass and weathered wood. Her store, she says, 'is a total combination of everything I love.' She scours antiques markets and trade shows for one-of-a-kind furniture, from vintage to contemporary. Stratmann, now 54, has been an oil painter, a marble sculptor and a designer. It's also a gallery in a third sense: Left Bank displays the fruits of an interior designer's decades of immersion in visual arts. Two-dimensional works by Vermont artists adorn the walls, and the shop is stocked with furniture and artisan décor items whose distinctive shapes, colors and textures elevate them to the realm of functional art. An unexpected visual arts gallery resides on the south side of Bank Street in downtown Burlington: Left Bank Home & Garden, a storefront owned by artist and interior designer Trice Stratmann.

Matthew banks watercolor church