Plate & Cork: KELLER boutique has just the right accessories to make you (or your hostess) feel right at home

Robert Sabban
·3 min read
Designer Keller Donovan owns KELLER Palm Beach at 308 S. County Road.
Designer Keller Donovan owns KELLER Palm Beach at 308 S. County Road.
KELLER's offerings include these napkin sets.
KELLER's offerings include these napkin sets.
Books about fashion icons are among the items for sale at KELLER.
Books about fashion icons are among the items for sale at KELLER.
Designer Keller Donovan sells Addison Ross clocks at his South County Road store.
Designer Keller Donovan sells Addison Ross clocks at his South County Road store.
A 33480 writing pad and a bamboo pen are among the uniquely Palm Beach items for sale at KELLER.
A 33480 writing pad and a bamboo pen are among the uniquely Palm Beach items for sale at KELLER.
KELLER offers Palm Beach scented candles and votives from Archipelago.
KELLER offers Palm Beach scented candles and votives from Archipelago.
These faux ivory and bamboo magnifying glasses are among the unique finds at KELLER.
These faux ivory and bamboo magnifying glasses are among the unique finds at KELLER.
Abalone and acrylic caviar shell and spoon sets are on sale at KELLER.
Abalone and acrylic caviar shell and spoon sets are on sale at KELLER.
KELLER's stock includes lobster napkins, blue mats and stainless faux bamboo place settings.
KELLER's stock includes lobster napkins, blue mats and stainless faux bamboo place settings.

Crisp autumn breezes are heralding the return of snowbirds as the island gears up for the liveliest season in recent years.

That means it's time to stock the cupboard with a selection of host and hostess gifts in preparation for holiday feasts, birthdays, anniversaries, family gatherings, housewarming and intimate dinner parties.

Gifts need not be pricy — thoughtful and amusing will do — and they are a lovely way to thank family and friends for their hospitality.

With that in mind, designer T. Keller Donovan spent the summer months on a buying spree. His boutique, KELLER Palm Beach, is stocked with tabletop items, creative gift selections and one-of-a-kind gems from the Marche Aux Puces in Paris.

The Short Hills, New Jersey, native attended Parson School of Design and did a stint in the home furnishings department at Bloomingdales' Manhattan store before going out on his own.

Donovan was born on the Fourth of July and describes his design style as All-American — clean, crisp and functional.

His work has been featured in national publications, including Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, House and Garden, and House Beautiful.

In 2007, in anticipation of retirement, he bought a home in West Palm Beach and started renovating it. Before-and-after photographs were featured over a 10-month period in House Beautiful.

By 2017, Donovan realized he had failed retirement and needed to get back in the game. So he opened his shop on the island.

“I listen to my customers and aim to anticipate their needs. I try to carry imaginative things for the Palm Beach crowd that has everything, as well as thoughtful inexpensive items. I remember when I was in school and would be invited to a friend’s home for dinner. I didn’t have much money but always wanted to show up with a gift,” he said.

The following items are highlights from KELLER Palm Beach's selections:

* Scented candles are always a popular gift item. The shop carries a line that is named after Florida destinations — Palm Beach, Naples, South Beach and Key West. They come in two sizes, (large, $50; votive, $20). The Palm Beach candle is perfumed with agave nectar, lemon zest and sandalwood.

* The island is Caviar Central during season, and there is no better way to serve it than heaping gobs of those luscious ova into individual abalone shells. Each dainty bowl comes with its own nonreactive spoon (pair of bowls with spoons, $75).

* Light up the night on theloggia, terrace or patio with faux-wicker indoor/outdoor hurricane lamps in a choice of tobacco, brown or white (small, $165; large, $220). Add to the lamps timed battery-operated candles ($30 to $70).

* A selections of trays from Addison Ross, a family-owned English company with a passion for design, luxury and elegance ($130 to $290) and clocks ($75 to $85).

* Casual napkin sets in a choice of white with either navy, red, orange or lime trim come in sets of four ($25). Welcome guests to a seafood dinner with white napkins embroidered with a lobster design ($30).

* An extra magnifying glass is always a welcome gift. Designs come with a faux ivory handle ($35), or bamboo ($75).

* Navy boxes of matches embossed with Palm Beach in white ($10), or in a silver-tone metal case ($50).

* For the tennis set: pink and green note cards ($24) or note pads ($40); or distinctive 33480 note pads tied with a ribbon ($25), with a bamboo pen ($6).

KELLER Palm Beach

308 S. County Road 

Open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

561-355-5331, kellerpalmbeach.com

Match boxes can be found at KELLER.
Match boxes can be found at KELLER.
Hostess tennis cards and pads are among the available items.
Hostess tennis cards and pads are among the available items.
Tortoise clocks and frames are available at the store.
Tortoise clocks and frames are available at the store.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: KELLER boutique in Palm Beach offers a variety of accessories for the home