Cassano owns VOL.1, the intimate furniture and decorative accessories shop in the tiny town center of Warren, Connecticut. When the space a few doors down became available, she knew just whom to call And Cassano is very good at taking chances and acting on instinct. Having spent years in the corporate worlds of fashion, fragrance, and cosmetics, Cassano went on to form her own consulting company. She spent her spare down time building a weekend house in Sharon, and searched antique fairs and auctions to fill its rooms. “After years of this,” explains Cassano, “you realize that what began as a weekend hobby, becomes a passion that borders on obsession that finally, out of necessity, becomes a business!”  When a girl friend and fellow shopper, (they meet each other twice a year at the antiques mecca, Brimfield, in Massachusetts), realized that they had better get a booth to start selling all their accumulated treasures. Within minutes of making their first sale (at 6 o’clock in the morning), “We were hooked,” says Cassano. She promptly hung up for good her corporate shoes and launched VOL.1 antiques which she says, “fulfills my childhood dream of shopping for a living!” And it gets better: After trolling a tag sale in Warren, Cassano emerged with “a really nice pair of candlesticks and… a lease to run the shop.”

And so VOL.1 put down its roots and Cassano hit the deck running on her own – never having time to be scared, as nearby friends such as Lambertson and Truex made sure a steady stream of weekend guests made the pilgrimage to VOL.1. “ Having the guys as your unofficial PR firm is just a tad helpful, “says Cassano with a smile.

So when the space next door became available, it was time for Cassano to return the favor. “I knew Richard always wanted a shop, so when I told him about the availability, he said he’d think about it.” Turns out Lambertson was game, but on one condition:  only if Cassano would help him run it. To Cassano,“This like being a ballerina in a company and being invited by Baryshnikov to pas de deux;  you don’t over think it, you just do it!”  So Lambertson and Cassano combined forces, talents and shopping lists, (with much editing along the way) and opened Privet House in May of this year. Now both shops have become a design destination for locals, weekenders and lucky drive-bys alike. And Cassano is getting plenty of extra exercise as she runs back and forth between spaces making sure everyone feels at home. All the better to keep up her effortless pas de deux with Lambertson.