Five Easy Pieces: November 11, 2022

Every Friday I share a quick hit list of 5 things I’m into. They may be wildly outdated or impossibly current. They may be overexposed and well known, or a hidden gem. If there is a product included, it is never sponsored or paid - this is just stuff I like.

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Happy Friday, everyone.

Coming to you with a slightly different “Five Easy Pieces” today. We’re in Connecticut for the weekend, visiting friends and going to a gathering at Tenmile Distillery in Wassaic, NY.

I love this part of the country - especially around this time of year. The leaves are fully showcasing fall colors (or they’re bare), and the temperatures and shorter days beg for a fire. There’s a coziness that we don’t get to experience in Charleston much of the year. We are making the most of it - wool socks, warm clothes, and adventures in the area.

I wanted to highlight five of my favorite stops in the area:

1. Finch Hudson

Warren Street in downtown Hudson, NY is a trove of incredible interiors shops. Many of them skew mid-century, and my favorite among them is Finch. I’ve purchased a few things over the last couple of years. The prices are really great (considering the quality of the edit), and the showroom is a quick education in staging for your own home.

2. Suarez Family Brewery

If you are at all familiar with my drinking proclivities then you know I’m a Pilsner drinker, exclusively. Suarez makes some of my favorites in the US, as well as other “crispy little beers;” a trip to their tap room is an essential stop every time I’m in the area. It’s closed for the season, but you can swing by to pick up beers for the house.

3. Plain Goods

A beautifully appointed lifestyle store in New Preston, CT: furniture, gifts, books, clothes. I’m here for the expert edit of menswear from great brands like Margaret Howell, Kestin (a longtime favorite from Scotland), Aspesi, and Massimo Alba. Their own house brand showcases that same appreciation for quality production in timeless silhouettes.

4. Red Chair on Hudson

Another favorite along Hudson’s Warren Street, we love this stop for their vintage French linens, which we use at home. They are well made, hard-wearing, and handsome. This is a great stop if you’re looking for vintage serving pieces, antique porcelain, oversized mortar and pestles, or vintage French bed-shirts, which my wife loves to source for inspiration for her own line of women’s shirting.

5. Rubiner’s

Is there anything better than an expertly run cheese shop? I love this spot in Great Barrington for picnic prep or a midday grilled cheese at their adjacent cafe. Our friends buy their raclette cheese here for mid-winter feasts, and the selection covers nearly every base. You won’t leave empty handed.

And an honorary mention: Michael Trapp

Antiques, architectural elements, furniture, and lighting. This store (and the well stocked barn, pictured) is a wonderland of expertly sourced, distinctive pieces. My friend Robert (co-founder of Workstead) swears by this store, and has developed a dangerous addiction to their shipwreck pottery.