No matter your mood or style, you can create the right scene with pieces from these North Fork purveyors of the past
When it comes to your home interiors, arranging and composing a vignette with furniture pieces and decorative objects can set the whole mood and tone of a room. Designers and visual merchandisers (yes, that’s a thing!) are masters of arranging unexpected pieces and balancing color, texture and form using cherished heirlooms, tag sale finds and everyday objects.
Half the joy of creating a personal styling statement for your home is in the hunt. Traditional antique stores and unique shops here offer curated, reclaimed and salvaged pieces to please many tastes, whether farmhouse chic or elegant industrial.
Remember a few rules to avoid getting too overwhelmed while you search for the perfect pieces for your home vignette, as vintage objects can take time to find. Start with a unique hero piece to anchor your story (a bookcase, wall table or chair is a great start), followed by textiles, a distinctive light fixture and wall art. Incorporating flora and fauna displayed in an unusual container can bring the outdoors in and add height and texture.
Here, we list a few favorite places to begin and inspire a trek around the North Fork. And don’t fret too much about buying on a whim — when it comes to one-of-a-kind pieces, seize the dream day!
Where the practical is re-purposed
Blink and you’ll miss tree-hidden Small Holdings Farm (965 Main Road, Aquebogue, 516-639-9392), a 3,000-square-foot barn filled with one-of-a-kind and vintage garden finds. Be prepared to meander through, as this is old-school searching. Vintage oars, antique signage and wrought iron beckons! “We’ll have customers that come in here for maybe two or three minutes, and they go out with nothing, and you have some that come in here and spend 45 minutes and [spend] $300,” says shopkeeper and antique dealer Michael Mahon.
Grabbing for American gothic
The farmhouse aesthetic remains popular for many new homeowners, especially a well-made piece that has survived the test of time. If that’s the vibe you’re looking for, hit up Laurel Antiques (1195B Franklinville Road, Laurel, 631-298-7622). “I sell a lot of Amish farmhouse furniture to younger customers,” says owner Steve Gill, who also makes original pieces from reclaimed Pennsylvania barn wood.
A collector’s colorful cache
Owned by the knowledgeable and friendly Lydia Abatelli, Lydia’s Antique & Stained Glass (215 Main St., Greenport, 631-477-1414) has become a North Fork antiquing landmark, carrying a wide selection of antiques and tableware, including much sought-after Blue Willow china. Abatelli also makes and repairs stained glass, as of late coming back in vogue. “This place is like a living museum,” says the owner. “People come in and find things that evoke memories.”
Mid-century must-haves
Located in the former Memorial Masonic Temple built in 1901, Beall & Bell’s (430 Main St., Greenport, 631-477-8239) extensive collection of American, French and English mid-century furniture, antiques and industrial items is striking within the high-ceilinged warehouse setting. Founder Virginia (Ginger) McFadden’s vignettes here are inspiring and showcase the effect of pairing unusual items together. “It does seem that lately people are looking for something interesting or original to furnish their homes that you can’t find in cookie-cutter stores,” says co-founder Kenneth Ludacer. Check-in weekly as inventory changes often.
Give and take
Locals and tourists alike love to find bargains (or donate them) at the Eastern Long Island Hospital Opportunity Shop (321 Main St., Greenport, 631-477-1120). Be sure to check the furniture area for great finds that will satisfy the budget-conscious; it may just need a bit of TLC and an upholstery update. The antique glassware, too, is a bonus for vintage bar-stocking. Feel good about the purchase knowing that the ELIH Auxiliary donates all proceeds of the Op Shop sales directly to the hospital.
If you have a fondness for Formica…
Retro-kitsch is alive and well at The Times Vintage (429 Main St., Greenport, 631-477-6455). This must-see vintage clothing and vinyl record spot offers a scene as colorful as its customers. Put down the boa and platform shoes and wander to the back of the store to check out the incredible mid-century glass and lamp collection. Not everything in life, or your home, has to be tasteful. “There’s a lot of nostalgia for people who come in,” says employee Angelina Rice. “They’re like, oh my gosh, I had this wallpaper in my kitchen growing up, or I had this phone!”
The secret, old garden
Pare it down with a visit to White Flower (53850 Main Road, Southold, 631-438-2318), a collaborative space between Lori Guyer and Nathaniel Savage across from White Flower Farmhouse in Southold (also worth a visit for the antique linens and ironstone dishware). While the store is known for its garden-inspired décor, beautiful floral arrangements and unique houseplants, there’s plenty of vintage finds here, too, from the farm-centric to books, baskets, bird cages and benches. And hey, who says you can’t have a cement birdbath inside your house?
