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A fresh approach to home décor and gifts BY LINDA S. HOPKINS
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Barn modern
Deena Paradiso, owner of Modern Barn
This donkey print may or may not be there by the time you read this, because the publisher just had to buy one of the two for her sister Amy. How cute is he!?
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ecorating a new home or sprucing up a room? You know that shelf that is calling for a curio, the sofa begging for a throw pillow, or the bare countertop asking for a pop of color? Head on over to Modern Barn, Hilton Head Island’s newest home décor darling on New Orleans Rd. And don’t let the name fool you! While Modern Barn’s merchandise has a farmhouse flair, you may be surprised by the broad scope of appeal, regardless of your decorating style. Whether your taste is modern or traditional, coastal or country, something is sure to speak to your aesthetic. It’s always important to surround yourself with items you love, and that is where the story of Modern Barn began. After relocating to Hilton Head Island five years ago, when Deena Paradiso set out to decorate her new house in Sea Pines, she was after something different from the coastal theme popular in many area homes. She was going for a clean, sleek, and inviting look. “I’m a little bit modern, a little bit country. It was hard for me to find accent pieces that fit my style,” she said. After exploring local resources with minimal success, she found herself shopping at specialty chain stores, antique markets and online, which got her entrepreneurial juices stirring. The former school teacher/guidance counselor, wife, and mother of two boys (ages 13 and 8), was looking to open a business and had been exploring several possibilities, from a retail clothing boutique to a candy shop. “I worked in retail in my young life—while in college and grad school. I always had that entrepreneurial spirit,” she said. Owning a business was a lifelong ambition, like a burning ember, and Paradiso’s market gap discovery fanned the flames. Opening Modern Barn in June of 2018, she is fulfilling a dream and filling a niche. “There are other home