100 Main: A Gift To Falls Village by Decorator Bunny Williams
It was nearly a decade ago that the esteemed decorator and gardener Bunny Williams put her magic touch on the Falls Village Inn, leading The New York Times to dub her the tiny town’s fairy godmother. Now, Williams, who’s owned a landmark Greek Revival house on the edge of Falls Village’s downtown for nearly 40 years, has conjured up another fantasia for the village: 100 Main, a cooperative selling art, furniture, housewares, garden accessories, jewelry, and women’s fashion. The store’s conceit is the same as the Rural Intelligence mantra — shop local! — and everything for sale is made and/or designed by artisans who live and work in New York, Connecticut or Massachusetts.
Of course, you probably already know about 100 Main. Articles about the new store have appeared everywhere from The Lakeville Journal to Architectural Digest, because Williams is both a regional and national celebrity — the founder of the annual Trade Secrets charity garden-and-antiques fair is widely considered the grande dame of traditional decorating in the United States — so anything she does in the design world is big news.
Williams decided to open the emporium after she bought a woebegone one-time grocery store on Main Street that she considered an eyesore. She hired local builder Seth Churchill to discreetly renovate it. She recruited Christina van Hengel of Great Barrington to run the day-to-day operations. Now the building has a front loggia with rocking chairs for idling and two massive garage-style doors that open up the shop directly to the town. “It makes me feel like I’m in Europe,” says Williams, who’s created a lofty space with chic cement floors and handsome steel trusses that hold up the roof.
The shop carries work by more than 100 people and companies, including potter Daniel Bellow of Great Barrington; lampshade and paper artisan Susan Schneider of Sheffield, Izzy Fitch of Battle Hill Forge in Millerton, and Ben Wolff Pottery of Bantam. (Artisans that are interested in showing their work at 100 Main should email artisans@100mainst.com)
“I am honored and grateful to be among an incredible group of artists curated by Bunny and Christina,” says Schneider. “Bringing handmade functional local art under one roof is brilliant!”
She's not the only artisan in store who appreciates what it means to be selected by Williams. "Bunny has used her knowledge of process and impeccable attention to detail to draw connections between local makers in the Northwestern corner," says Linda Zelenko of York Street Studios in Milford, whose furniture and leather goods are sold at 100 Main. Adds sculptor Dan Bellow, "When the famous New York decorator Bunny Williams asks you for dinner service for eight to go in her fabulous new shop in perfect little Falls Village, obviously you say yes."
The first two weekends have attracted a steady stream of shoppers, including many design aficionados such as the stylist and fabric designer Patrick Gallagher (who was visiting from Rome), interior designer Matthew Patrick Smyth of Sharon, and ELLE Decor executive editor Ingrid Abramovitch who is renting a converted church a stone’s throw from the shop for the summer.
“Bunny has created an irresistible destination for beautiful handmade gifts and homewares that you won't see anywhere else — all chosen according to her inimitable ‘Bunny's Eye,’” says Abramovitch. “On my first visit, I picked up a hostess gift, wedding present, and baby gift — and Bunny herself was on the premises to gently give advice. But more than that, with the new shop she has revealed the amazing creativity of the region by shining a much-deserved light on the work of local artisans. Best of all, she has respectfully created a new destination on Falls Village's charming Main Street with her stylish renovation. The rocking chairs outside are my favorite touch!”
100 Main
Falls Village, CT
(860) 453-4356
Open Thursday & Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Please Support Rural Intelligence
We want to continue delivering the entertaining, informative and upbeat stories in the inimitable Rural Intelligence style, despite a pandemic. But we need your support to keep us going. Please consider making a donation; even a small amount helps secure our future. Support us now.
(If you prefer, mail a check to: 45 Pine Grove Ave., Suite 303, Kingston, NY 12401.)
Support Now