By Gretchen Webster

WESTPORT — Timothy Oulton, a British furniture and home accessories business, has opened a store at 38 Main St., joining several other new stores in town dedicated to home furnishings.

Although the Westport store, which officially opened Monday, is the only Timothy Oulton-branded store in Connecticut, its merchandise previously was sold at the Lillian August Design Center in Norwalk, according to Jude Leach, global head of retail for the company.

“We’re lucky that we already have a great customer base here. … We’re delighted to be opening our first stand-alone gallery in Westport,” Leach said. 

Timothy Oulton, an international furniture business, is named after its founder and has a flagship store in Manhattan and 49 other stores worldwide.

Among the Westport store’s offerings are sofas, dining furnishings, beds, lighting, outdoor furniture and home accessories.

“Everything starts with the materials — we bring old timber from the U.K., leathers from Brazil and Argentina, veg-dyed linens, stone, crystal and glass. … We cover a whole spectrum of styles,” Leach said.

Timothy Oulton’s management invites customers to “make yourself at home … touch everything,” have a glass of champagne or cup of tea, and to use the store’s 3D room-planning service to design and choose furniture and accessories, she added.

The process of opening the Westport store took about a year, Leach said, including finding the right location in town.

“We knew we wanted to open in Westport so it was just a matter of finding the right location … There’s a wonderful sense of community in Westport and we look forward to being part of that.”

Timothy Oulton, 38 Main St. Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Phone: 203-682-1184.

Freelance writer Gretchen Webster, a Fairfield County journalist and journalism teacher for many years, was editor of the Fairfield Minuteman newspaper for 10 years and currently teaches journalism at Southern Connecticut State University.