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Serena & Lily Opens Flagship Store In Westport's Historic Kemper-Gunn House

WESTPORT, Conn. — The completely renovated Kemper-Gunn House is now home to Serena & Lily, a home and lifestyle shop that celebrated its official opening last week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the porch of the historic Westport building. 

First Selectman Jim Marpe and the owners of Serena & Lily cut the fancy ribbon to open the lifestyle store in Westport last Friday.

First Selectman Jim Marpe and the owners of Serena & Lily cut the fancy ribbon to open the lifestyle store in Westport last Friday.

Photo Credit: Roy Fuchs
Lily Kanter, one of the owners of Serena & Lily, poses with First Selectman Jim Marpe.

Lily Kanter, one of the owners of Serena & Lily, poses with First Selectman Jim Marpe.

Photo Credit: Roy Fuchs
Home merchandise fills the Kemper-Gunn House, the new home of Serena & Lily.

Home merchandise fills the Kemper-Gunn House, the new home of Serena & Lily.

Photo Credit: Roy Fuchs
Home merchandise fills the Kemper-Gunn House, the new home of Serena & Lily.

Home merchandise fills the Kemper-Gunn House, the new home of Serena & Lily.

Photo Credit: Roy Fuchs
Shoppers line up to enter the new Serena & Lily shop, the flagship location for the high-end California-based design firm.

Shoppers line up to enter the new Serena & Lily shop, the flagship location for the high-end California-based design firm.

Photo Credit: Roy Fuchs

Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe cut the ribbon at Serena & Lily, which fills all three floors of the historic building with an assortment of high-end housewares. 

The shop’s owners, Serena Dugan and Lily Kanter, were in attendance along with developer David Waldman and numerous Westport community leaders.

Serena & Lily was established in October 2003 and is headquartered in Sausalito, Calif.

Their Brand Marketer, Jill John, described the company as “lifestyle decor,” and said the Westport shop is now the flagship store and its only freestanding location.

Dugan described the style as “fresh, classic, colorful, optimistic.” 

The company is “thrilled to be a part of Westport community,” she said. They were “welcomed with open arms.” 

The Kemper-Gunn House is the “ideal showcase for their brand,” Dugan said.

Marpe cut the very fancy ribbon and welcomed the owners and their business. He also praised Waldman, and Matt Mandell, head of the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce for their efforts and persistence in saving the historic building. 

Mandell praised the addition of Serena & Lily to the block, calling it a "“mom-and-mom business.”

Marpe also thanked Second Selectman Avi Kaner and Third Selectman Helen Garten.

The Kemper-Gunn House was on the verge of being condemned when it was moved from around the corner on Church Lane to its new location. Waldman overcame a rejection by the Planning & Zoning Board to come up with a solution to save the house and made it the centerpiece of what will be his Bedford Square development. 

The exterior of the Kemper-Gunn House retains its original late 19th-century Queen Anne Victorian look, while its interior has been totally redone to provide an attractive and functional showcase for Serena and Lily’s beautiful merchandise.

Downtown Westport has gained a business that will slip right into its high-end, specialty retailing scene. Serena & Lily and their home in Kemper-Gunn make a distinctive addition to Westport’s Downtown Master Plan.

The store offers three floors of design inspiration while honoring the original details of the historic building.

Aside from the new Westport location, other locations of Serena & Lily are in the Hamptons on Long Island, in San Francisco and in.

For more information, call 203-635-8000, send an email to westport@serenaandlily.com or click here.

Serena & Lily is at 35 Elm St., Westport.

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