Fenwick & Oliver, a new retail shop at 474 Thames St., has only been open a week, but given the season, they have seen a lot of traffic. They reported a great first weekend, fueled by the crowds drawn to downtown Bristol by the Christmas Festival.

The shop is the creation of Lisa Newcity and Don Ruest. She is a RWU professor who teaches pre-law and has an eye for both staging and sourcing the home decor items on display at Fenwick & Oliver; he is a retired mechanical engineer whose woodworking hobby took off during the pandemic. The name of the shop refers to the two streets they lived on when they met — he was a resident of Fenwick Road in Riverside; she has been living here in Bristol on Oliver Street for about eight years. Ruest also moved to Bristol, about 2 years ago, and is now an enthusiastic convert. “I’m never leaving,” he said.

“He was working out of his garage on Fenwick Road, and his work was really beautiful,” said Newcity. “I told him I thought he should have an Etsy shop, or go to craft fairs.” Ruest thought she was just flattering him, but one thing led to another and soon they were showing Ruest’s creations at venues from Bristol’s own State Street Artisan Fair to the Providence Flea and beyond.

When the Thames Street space became available, the couple took a look and knew it just felt right. A former upholstery shop, the interior remained unfinished; the large, exposed wooden beams and columns complement Ruest’s craft and suit Fenwick & Oliver’s aesthetic perfectly. Particularly this season, the space is the embodiment of “hygge”, that Danish and Norwegian word for cozy comfort and contentment.

The wares in the shop are a combination of Ruest’s creations and Newcity’s finds. Local linens and table runners from a variety of sources, including Bristol Looms, are available. Found ornaments, pillows, and home decor touches are sourced with an eye towards handcrafted and fair trade items.

Ruest’s handiwork includes large items like a bar, coffee and end tables, and portable plant stands, to smaller items like ornaments, bottle openers, and coasters — and even propagation stations that turn your plant cuttings into countertop (or wall-mounted) works of art.

Holiday gifts, including Bristol-branded items both sourced and crafted by Ruest, are available at all price points.

Through the holiday season, they plan to maintain opening hours Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Following the holidays, Ruest plans to use the anticipated downtime to rebuild the supply of product in the shop and spend more time working on larger furniture pieces.

In addition to their new Thames Street home you can find Fenwick & Oliver online, and see more of Ruest’s work, at fenwick-oliver.myshopify.com and on Facebook.