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A reproduction of a tin panel bed finds the perfect mates in linens from Shabby Chic. |
A Great Find
"Whats in a name?" queried the love-struck Juliet.
For one Seattle shop, the question isn't what, but where.
Romantic Homes, January 2000 -
Sarah Kaplan and Robert Aldrich moved from New York City to Seattle to
start their own home furnishings store, but couldn't bear leaving the
Big Apple entirely. "We were walking around New York,arguing about a name
for the shop, when we both looked up at the corner of Great Jones Street.
It was instantaneous," Sarah says with a laugh.
Since its start in 1996, Great Jones Home can claim at least one thing in
common with the city that never sleeps-boundless variety. Within the
3,100-square-foot space, antiques -- including 1930s French leather club
chairs, English eider-downs and Victorian floral oil paintings -- mingle with
new finds such as fabrics, bedding and wallpapers designed by the likes of hot
London designer Cath Kidston, as well as handmade Victorian-inspired objects
like quail-egg garlands.
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Linen lavender water that lets you iron that old-fashioned fragrance
into your sheets is just one of the delightful products available at
the apothecary at Great Jones Home. |
"We wanted to create a store that encompassed everything we love and
are interested in," says Sarah.
In fact, it was partly frustration at the lack of one-stop shops that
led these two former fashion merchandisers (Robert worked for Armani and
Sarah for Barneys) to turn their attentions homeward. "We found in shopping
for our own home that there were a lot of great stores, but nothing had
everything we wanted," says Sarah.
But making the transition from the world of fashion -- with its European shows
and fine hotels -- to rummaging through old barns and staying in cheap motels
in search of out-of-the-way treasures proved more of an adjustment than the
pair initially imagined. Sarah recalls one of their first eye-opening forays:
"I still have this image of Robert climbing over tractors and farm imple-ments
in a filthy Ohio barn in the middle of summer," she says, laughing.
Dirt and heat not withstanding, the hunt for hidden treasures quickly became
one of the couple's favorite pastimes. "We probably do about 18 trips a year
to Massachusetts, England, France and New York," says Sarah, who believes part
of the shop's appeal is its always-changing inventory.
The atmosphere hasn't hurt either. Sunlight glints off the fir floors of the renovated
former drapery factory. Found objects, antique furnishings and accessories, and one-of-a-kind
linens, potteries and papers blend effortlessly into homey vignettes thanks to one grand
over-arching theme: the easy look of lived-in gentility.
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Antique Sheffield flatware (left) shows its daintier side when paired with
the exclusive Dogwood pattern of Revenge Ware. The Paper Shoppe at Great
Jones Home offers unique treasures like present cones and hand-painted paper
crowns (right) for little ones with loads of imagination to spare. |
"Everything in our store is meant to be touched and used and enjoyed," Sarah explains.
For this reason, the pair do not refinish any of their antiques, preferring instead
the patina of age.
"We wanted a place where people would feel comfortable enough to sink into a comfy
chair and read a book," says Sarah. For although Great Jones Home takes its name from
the bustling city (in fact, a second shop will open in New York next spring), make no
mistake, this shop is first and foremost about peace and comfort: from the down-filled
and slipcovered furnishings to the pair of Jack Russell pups sprawling across the floor.
written by KATHERINE ANDERSON
photography by BROOKE SLEZAK
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