The Sheffield Collection Offers Custom Pillows, Restored Furniture
Boni Dupont walks downstairs from the second level of The Sheffield Collection, her shop on the southern fringe of Sheffield, Massachusetts’ antiques row. She was busy practicing her craft, which is making by hand, along with her assistant, Nancy Pixley, custom pillows from fabric supplied by Ralph Lauren and other top names from around the world.
“That really is our calling card,” she says as she sits in her self-described eclectic antiques, collectibles, interior design and fabric shop on a rainy afternoon. “We make pillows for store stock and those that are custom-ordered by our clients. It took us 21 years to build up the contacts we need to acquire the best fabrics from around the world. We have fabric for as little as $9 a yard and some that range between $200 and $700 a yard.”
She says they once used a velvet fabric that sold for $700 a yard.
“Our down inserts are purchased from a company in Albany,” she continues. “We can make all sizes and many are done so as to look old. That’s why we have a sewing machine as our logo, so people will know that they can find fabrics in here. We have made pillows for some noted show business people and a top designer. I love to coordinate the fabrics; that’s really my claim to fame.”
The shop features an impressive library of fabric and wallpaper books, and also carries wool rugs. Clients may also custom order from a wide variety of designers. The Sheffield Collection also offers poplin/linen bedding, pillows and accessories, and has an assortment of sheets, duvets, pillows, dust ruffles, down blankets and quilts.
Dupont is an accomplished seamstress who began to sew at the age of 7 when her mother wanted to “find something for me to do,” she says with a smile. “It really became a passion. I had three young children and I made clothes for them. I made pillows for myself and wedding dresses for the family. I’m the family seamstress.”
She also became a collector, and around 21 years ago she opened a small shop in a barn in the back of the family home, located near The Sheffield Collection. After acquiring a loyal following, she decided she needed a bigger space. Her husband, Stanley, and two sons, Joshua and Jeremiah, constructed the present shop that measures 32-by-48 feet. It took about a year to build and Dupont moved in 11 years ago.
“Business has been steady through the years,” she says. “We had a bit of a downturn back in 2008 when the stock market crashed. But we picked up and have a number of people who visit us regularly. Being on Route 7 is a perfect location. We really consider ourselves a destination shop.”
The Sheffield Collection is more than fabric. The shop has vintage signs, clocks, pottery, lamps, mirrors, pictures and kitchenware, tables, chairs, custom order pieces, antiques and one-of-a- kind pieces. It also has scented candles, perfumes, French soaps, lotions, bath scrubs and hair care products, many of which are made with all natural ingredients and oils, tablecloths, napkins, Italian flatware, dishes, vases, candlesticks and other decorative pieces, and wool-hooked, needlepoint, cotton and jute rugs of all shapes, sizes and styles. About 50 percent of the items in the store are on consignment from other individuals.
The showroom is arranged so as to best display the myriad of items contained within, and emphasis is placed on showing off the most interesting pillows made by Dupont and Pixley. Dupont also engages in historic restorations of furniture and works closely with two skilled upholsters. She sits near a couch that is graced with a faux zebra skin fabric.
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