Hammertown Homes — Do You Have One?

by Dana on May 26, 2008

One thing all Hammertown Customers have in common is that they love their homes. We love the diversity of design and creativity we see in these unique and diverse houses and wanted to share it with you. For this inaugural profile we chose Jill & Steven London’s home in Garrison, NY which was recently featured in our Newsletter. Just check out these pictures and you will see why.

Five years ago, Jill and Steven London relocated from England to the Hudson Valley with their two girls, Poppy and Milly. The family settled into the community of Garrison, NY, about an hour south of Rhinebeck. Before the pleasures of family life took hold, Jill had been a professional textile designer and retail buyer in London. Her love of home decorating was a natural extension of her professional life and she and Steven had renovated a Victorian home in England before moving here.

Upon arriving stateside, the family longed to buy a house and begin the creative process of making it their own. Thus began the house hunt that lead the Londons to their current home, a charming antique farmhouse with picturesque river views to which they added an elegant yet simple post and beam, barn-like addition. Their trips to Vermont inspired this idea where they saw many homes with attached barns that had been turned into living space. The result is quite stunning. Vast open spaces are balanced out by cozy retreats. The interaction of the old and new come together in a perfect balance.

Jill and her family had discovered Hammertown long before their house’s addition was complete and they were ready to expand their furniture collection. Jill recalled the first time she entered the Rhinebeck store as a fruitful and happy moment. Always looking for inspiration, she had yet to find a store that fed her creative juices and recalled her love of traditional and modern styles mixed together. Entering Hammertown, she said, “A light went on for me. The Farrow and Ball paints, leather club chairs, Orla Kiely bags, wonderful dish soaps and candles, fabulous cushions (or pillows as we call them), and all of this in one place. It was amazing.”

This was the first of many Hammertown pilgrimages for the London’s. Before they finished their home, they relied on Hammertown’s edited selection of home decor books to provide ideas, inspiration and product sourcing. With the completion of their new space a new door was opened for the London’s at Hammertown. Jill reminisced how happy she was to finally be able to buy more than gifts and small items at her favorite shop. Up until this point, their belongings had been cramped in the original farmhouse and makeshift storage shed. The prospect of filling the new space was exciting and overwhelming at the same time.

Jill and Steven, like many Hammertown customers, have a love of meshing the old with the new. After painstakingly choosing all the elements that went into their new home (acting as general contractors and choosing every fixture and fitting themselves), Jill could not emphasize enough how refreshing furniture buying is at Hammertown. “Half the work done for you here”, she said, “All the right decisions are made and you can walk in, see something you like and have it within a week or two. Most of our contracting decisions required in-depth research and it was amazing to come to Hammertown and not feel the need to look through the fabric swatches (although you can do that if need be).

Jill and Steven appreciated the classic allure of the furniture, both in style and fabric choice. With two Keaton sofas, a pair of Martene Leather club chairs (happily discovered on sale when they had come up for a family drive one weekend), and an Odette sofette in their bedroom, you can find bits of Hammertown furniture throughout the London’s home.

That said, what makes this home so special is the details and contrasts created by Jill’s discerning eye. The simple modern coffee table topped with mirrored trays provides just enough “yin” to the “yang” of the Keaton sofa’s square, set-back arms and nailhead details. This theme continues throughout their home and is quite inspirational. I get ideas every time I visit and translate them into my own style at home.

You never know what the Londons may find on one of their many Hammertown ventures.

This week, Jill is looking at upholstered MG + BW beds, rugs for the almost finished guest suite in the basement and special treats for their puppy Mac, the newest addition to the London clan. Whatever their needs may be, you can count on seeing the London family at Hammertown often. Whether it be the yearly road trip they make on Jill’s birthday, a visit to buy some summertime hostess gifts, holiday presents for family back in England, or just to get inspired, the Londons shall remain Hammertown customers for life. We, in turn, remain inspired by the home they have created (with a little help from us of course) and offer our most heartfelt thanks to them for sharing it with us. ~D.S