January 23, 2008

Living Large

Grand Opens

Grand Ole Opry. Grand Theft Auto. Grand Slam breakfast. The word tends to feed people’s dramatic expectations.

Thankfully, Grand in Union Square lives up to the billing. The new retailer stocks an eclectic array of home goods, clothing, accessories, and footwear by under-the-radar designers: graphic flatware from British maker Isak, hand-sculpted jewelry from Odette, revamped Chinese sneakers by Feiyue.

The three purveyors — Jonathan O’Toole, Wendy Friedman, and Adam Larson — met while working at a record company and bring their collective creativity to the store’s dramatic interior. Take time to check out the bigger-than-life vinyl installations of a horse and a moon and a huge, mirror-adorned partition surrounding the cash register.

Down the line, the trio plans to stock furniture from independent U.S. makers and stage exhibitions featuring the work of both local and international artists and designers.

Expectations are growing grander by the day.

Grand, 374 Somerville Avenue, Somerville (617-623-2429 or grandthestore.com).