Familiar Trees: A Bookstore Curated For The Love Of Arts And Architecture
The new bookstore in Pittsfield caters to a specific set of genres, and is attracting creative types from all over.
By now it’s sounding somewhat like a broken record — in a good way: Person opens up a restaurant/store/service smack in the middle of the pandemic, and not only survives, but thrives. These people boldly leap into the unknown, and we are all better for it.
Sometimes it takes someone fairly new to the area to open our eyes to the possibilities. That’s what Stephen Rudy and Susana Gilboe have done with their arts-oriented bookstore Familiar Trees in Pittsfield, which they opened in late August. The set designer (Stephen) and costume designer (Susana) left New York six years ago and settled in Washington, Mass., where they were able to continue working in their professions remotely. Inspired by the success of their friends, the owners of Township Four Floristry and Home, Rudy and Gilboe bought space just a few doors down on the 400 block of North Street. That was pre-pandemic; they planned to open in March.
That plan, of course, was put on hold for a few months, but they eventually took the plunge, and since its opening, Rudy has been pleasantly surprised that there’s been such a good response. He’s had customers from near and far — Upstate New York, the Catskills, a lot of Wiilliams College faculty, and artists from North Adams — looking for books on art, design, architecture, photography, music, and film. The store also offers a selection of literature. Many of the books are from Rudy's own collection (he’s been a book dealer/collector for 40 years, he says), tomes and chapbooks you won’t find at a Barnes and Noble. About 80% are vintage and 20% new titles.
The bookseller among his books.
“This is a super-sophisticated area,” Rudy says. “There are so many artists and writers coming in, as well as second homeowners.” Although there are plenty of good bookstores in the area, the inventory in Familiar Trees is personally curated to appeal to a discerning reader or researcher. “The area needed this kind of bookstore,” he says, and by his account, store traffic verifies that.
The collection changes quickly. Poetry books are hard to keep in stock. Their popularity is closely followed by books on architecture and home design.
“People are moving here in droves,” Rudy says. “They come in and are looking for books as inspiration for their new homes.”
Mostly through, Rudy marvels at the abundance of the creative community stepping foot in the store. “The clientele is really interesting,” he says, and moments later, a widely exhibited artist, now living in Columbia County, walks in and Rudy greets him as an old friend. Rudy hasn’t done any advertising; people are finding Familiar Trees through word of mouth. But he’s following in the footsteps of some of the other business nearby. “This is a really good block,” Rudy says, mentioning other successful enterprises catering to a similar audience — Township Four, Circa, Dottie’s. “We like Pittsfield and want to be part of its growth.”
The store’s footprint isn’t huge, about 500 square feet. Its plywood-lined walls and hardwood floors mixed with vintage tables, primitive portraits and the tin ceiling (not to mention the bookseller, clad head to toe in tweed on this day) impart an old-meets-new vibe. Any empty wall space is soon likely to be occupied with new shelving as Rudy expands his collection.
When things open up, the owners plan to host readings and shows, and use the store as a gallery space. They also have thoughts of creating their own imprint of books in their chosen genres. In the meantime, Rudy is enjoying his fiefdom. “It’s like curating a new show every day,” he says.
