Global Marketplace

Exotic accessories add international flair to any decor

They're distinctive. That's what the treasures at Out of Hand have in common.
The store carries such a range of home accessories and gift items that it's hard to put it in a category. But it's easy to see that the shop's owner, Lisa Thomas, favors lighting.
The shop has an antique gold leaf chandelier with a wheat design, a new set of candleholders with inverted antlers, a smooth iron candlabrum and a beaded black chandelier. There also are candleholders with "blessing candles" that can be burned for a variety of needs, whether you want to be fertile or would like for your garden to be fertile.
Out of Hand originated in Thomas' Connecticut garage, where she did home shows, then moved to a Beaufort schoolhouse before relocating to the Old Village in Mount Pleasant. The shop has been there for seven years.
"If it speaks to me artistically, it could wind up in the shop," says Thomas, who looks for items as far away as Belgium, Italy and London, and as close as the Brimfield Antique show and Flea Market in Massachusetts and her favorite haunts in San Francisco.
In addition to lighting, you'll find colorful egg vases, horn-framed mirrors and matching picture frames. You'll also find some stylish purses that can be hung on a wall in lieu of art.
In all three local shops, the selection of merchandise is diverse. And you needn't purchase the most expensive item in any one of them to get the feeling that you have acquired something special.