An Interior Designer’s Secret Weapon: 8 Places to Buy "Off-Kilter" Statement Pieces
“Get to know your favorite maker. Buy from someone who lives down the road. It’s personal, and it supports a whole ecosystem.”
For Columbia County based interior designer and stylist Hallie Goodman, great rooms don’t end with bland centerpieces—they are crowned with an object so delightfully weird it pulls everything else into place. “If a room is really tastefully done, it can be boring,” she laughs. “It needs something a little off-kilter for punctuation.”
She suggests unconventional artwork, busts, vintage lighting, classic furniture with modern reupholstering—any cool object that feels a little risqué or enjoyably disorienting.
We asked Goodman to share her go-to spots for sourcing exactly those kinds of pieces—the home goods that make a room pop. She delivered.
"These things don't have to come from Europe.” says Goodman. “They can come from the farm down the road. That’s really cool—it feels authentic to where you are. And when they’ve been reupholstered down the lane? That’s a local economy. That’s a network."
Quittner-made lighting and goods are presented alongside antiques and work by friends at their retail store in Germantown, NY - The Quittner Warehouse.
1. Quittner
Location: 4655 Route 9G, Germantown, NY
Specialty: Early 1900s vintage lighting and historic furniture
“This is where I go when I want to send a client down a very elegant rabbit hole,” Goodman says. “They’re encyclopedic in their historical knowledge and just lovely people.” Everything is rewired and ready to install—a must for anyone intimidated by antique fixtures.
Founded in 2018 by husband-and-wife team Pippa Biddle and Benjamin Davidson, Quittner has evolved into a design practice offering historically informed lighting and homewares. The couple clearly has a deep appreciation for historic style sensibility.
2. Freaks
Location: 339 Warren Street, Hudson, NY
Specialty: Bold vintage furniture with a provocative twist
“It’s literally called Freaks,” Goodman says, gleefully. “It’s a low-lit place with fringe on everything. You walk in and you’re like, ‘How could furniture be this sexy? I feel like that couch has nipple tassels on it.’” Run by Kenzi Wilbur and curated with a flair for drama, Freaks is fast becoming the epicenter of a new creative scene in Hudson.
Photo by Good Eye House and Style.
3. Good Eye House and Style
Location: Center Space Vintage, Door 21 or 15, 99 S. 3rd St, Hudson, NY 12534
Specialty: One-of-a-kind “weird” statement pieces
Goodman calls this account her “very, very favorite seller in town.” Accessible via Instagram or at Center Space Vintage in Hudson's famed Antique Warehouse, Good Eye specializes in singular, unusual items—the kind that transform a room from merely beautiful to unforgettable. “I often buy the bones of a space first,” she says. “Then I get that final piece that brings it to life from Good Eye.”
Photo by the Auction Barn LLC.
4. The Auction Barn, LLC
Location: 99 Railroad Street, New Milford, CT
Specialty: Online and in-person estate auctions
“If you want to score, go to the preview in person,” Goodman advises. “Things that look amazing on camera aren’t always great in person—and vice versa.” She once snagged a giant altar candle stand that was wildly underbid on because people thought it was a table centerpiece. Owned and operated by Brian Corcoran, the Auction Barn holds monthly antique auctions and weekly auctions of vintage household items, offering a diverse range of wares from fine furniture to collectibles.
Photo by Hoffman's Barn.
5. Hoffman's Barn
Location: 19 Old Farm Road, Red Hook, NY
Specialty: Raw, unpolished salvage
“You go for the $30 stool that would be $600 somewhere else,” Goodman says. “There’s still a time and a place for a good barn dig.” She’s not afraid of reupholstering or refinishing—and urges others to embrace the same scrappy spirit. Hoffman's is a repository of the living history of the region, with a vast selection of antiques and used items, from high-end cabinetry to old tools and vinyl records.
6. Goodwill North Adams
Location: 166 State Street, North Adams, MA
Specialty: Inexpensive overlooked vintage
“Just between you and me,” Goodman says with a grin, “This is one of the last thrift stores around not totally scavenged bare by dealers. And it’s cheap as hell.” She calls the store near MASS MoCA one of the region’s best under-the-radar sources for genuine antique steals. Get your creative juices flowing at the museum and then curate your own life at the Goodwill.
Photo by Hammertown.
7. Hammertown
Locations: Rhinebeck & Pine Plains, NY; Great Barrington, MA
Specialty: Polished rustic home goods and decor
“They’ve got a big footprint, and honestly, it’s quality stuff,” Goodman says. Known for well-made, neutrally beautiful pieces, Hammertown is the perfect backdrop for injecting one offbeat item to make it sing. “Buy everything there, then throw in one weird little side table, and all of a sudden the place looks custom.” Founded in 1985 by Joan Osofsky in Pine Plains, Hammertown has grown into a comprehensive lifestyle brand with multiple locations, offering curated collections, interior design services, and custom furniture programs.
Photo by Jack Rabbit Studio.
8. Jack Rabbit Studio
Location: Hudson, NY
Specialty: Handmade, playful postmodern furniture
Brett Miller, a self-taught furniture designer, founded Jack Rabbit Studio in 2018. His bespoke style is playful and driven by intuition. Miller's journey into furniture design began with metal fabrication, eventually leading him to create pieces that blend sculptural forms with functional design.
“Chubby-legged, weird, wonderful,” Goodman says of Jack Rabbit. The furniture skews toward sculptural with a splash of Memphis Milano attitude. “Perfect for someone who bought everything else and now needs a piece that screams, ‘I have refined taste but I’m also fun.’”
Miller's designs often feature rounded, organic forms, such as the Primary Chubby Chair with its vibrant colors and bouclé upholstery, and the Pillar Sofa that combines black walnut and plaster elements. His work has been recognized by design publications like Sight Unseen, which included him in their American Design Hot List.
For Goodman, collecting isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about meaning, memory, and regional character. “You could think of yourself as an art patron,” she says. “Get to know your favorite maker. Buy from someone who lives down the road. It’s personal, and it supports a whole ecosystem.”
Written by
