Dana Rae Laverty

Providence

Senior Editor at Rhode Island Monthly

Mom, managing editor at @rimonthly & junior high spelling bee champion. Hiker, foodie and traveler. I like big books. Tips welcome: [email protected]

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Articles

A Fantastic Voyage to the Fantastic Umbrella Factory

3 days ago | rimonthly.com | Dana Rae Laverty

The Charlestown spot has been a cultural touchstone for locals and tourists for nearly six decades. OK, lets just get this out of the way: There was never an umbrella factory at the Fantastic Umbrella Factory. There was, however, a founder — Robert Bankel — who, inspired by a trip to San Francisco, christened his fledgling shop with the fanciful name in 1968. At least that’s how current owner David Turano remembers it.
Inside a Work of Art in Providence

2 weeks ago | rimonthly.com | Dana Rae Laverty

Allison Spain and her husband had just finished their second home renovation project when they saw an 1867 Italianate for sale on Providence’s Benefit Street. The home had been vacant for years. The roof leaked, trees branched through windows and the rooms were cloaked in layers of dated wallpaper and musty carpeting.
This New State-of-the-Art Wellness Center Welcomes Cancer Patients and Survivors in Lincoln

1 month ago | rimonthly.com | Dana Rae Laverty

The Gloria Gemma Center for Cancer Survivorship & Wellbeingrecently opened a state-of-the-art facility in Lincoln to provide cancer patients, survivors and family members with a central space for support and services.
Revisiting the Decades-Old Murder of Kathy Luongo

1 month ago | rimonthly.com | Dana Rae Laverty

THE UNSOLVED MURDER OF KATHY LUONGO has always fascinated Ben Kean. He’d always heard references to the 1984 case while growing up in Warwick. So when the real estate agent found himself without many homes to sell and a glut of free time during the pandemic, he reached out to his business partner and friend at the Blackstone Team at Compass Realty, Nelson Taylor. “I called him up and said, ‘Hey, do you want to try to solve a murder?’” he says.
Rediscover Roller Skating with Galactic Roller Disco

1 month ago | rimonthly.com | Dana Rae Laverty

One day, Ainsley Forness hopes to own a roller-skating rink. Until then, she’s busy with Galactic Roller Disco, her mobile roller rink that brings events, lessons and private parties — and yes, skates and gear — to spaces around the state. “I want to bring skating back to adult skaters. A lot of skating rinks cater strictly to children — it’s very ‘Let’s grab glow sticks and listen to party music and skate with my friends,’” she says.
A North Kingstown Home Goes from Frightful to Delightful

2 months ago | rimonthly.com | Dana Rae Laverty

Jeremy King gave himself two years to renovate the run-down fairy-tale cottage he bought in October 2023. But thanks to the magic of reality TV, the project took only two months and cost King nary a cent. “The whole experience was surreal from beginning to end,” he says.
Bright Ideas: Our 2025 Design Awards

2 months ago | rimonthly.com | Dana Rae Laverty

Our annual Rhode Island Monthly Design Awards spotlight the talented architects and designers who breathe life into the state’s most innovative spaces. Judges for this year’s Rhode Island Monthly Design Awards certainly had their work cut out for them. We received 100 entries in ten categories, submitted by local architects, designers and builders bringing beauty and cutting-edge innovation to Rhode Island’s homes, businesses and public spaces.
Air Crafting with Pneuhaus

2 months ago | rimonthly.com | Dana Rae Laverty

Pneuhaus’ first order came in before the company was even founded. Rhode Island School of Design officials needed decorations for commencement, and asked seniors Matthew Muller and Augie Lehrecke to create large inflatable sculptures. So that’s how the friends spent Senior Week 2014 — hunched over swaths of fabric until late in the evenings, stitching together blue inflatable tubes in the school’s upholstery studio. “That’s when we thought, ‘Oh, there might be a business here,’” Muller says.
Share Your Favorite Rocky Point Memories!

2 months ago | rimonthly.com | Dana Rae Laverty

Send us your fondest memories of the park, your favorite ride, and any old pictures you may have for the chance to be included in the July issue of Rhode Island Monthly. Do you still miss Rocky Point? Do you wish it could come back, even if only for one day?
Spaces: Focal Points

Mar 18, 2025 | rimonthly.com | Dana Rae Laverty

WallflowersNeed a little indoor inspo? Head to the RISD Museum for “The Art of French Wallpaper Design” exhibit to see how the salons of the fashionable set were decorated in the 1700s and 1800s. The 100 samples feature wallpapers, borders and fragments decorated with florals, classical themes and abstract ornamentation popular at the time. Most of the papier peint (“painted paper”) examples on display were crafted using woodblock printing. Who knows?