Saugerties’ Vintage Revival: Heirloom and Eden House Lead a Return to the Town’s Design Roots
The village of Saugerties was one of the Hudson Valley’s go-to spots for antiques in the 1970s and ‘80s. Over the last 50 years, that’s slightly changed. Places like Hudson have become known as the place to visit for antiquing, and many of the old shops in Saugerties, for one reason or another, closed. While some business owners and residents might see this as a red flag, others see it as an opportunity, with shops like Eden House and Heirloom embracing the town’s rich antiquing history with new vintage and homeware stores.
Both Eden House and Heirloom opened in Saugerties this fall, joining a number of other retailers who’ve opened downtown in the past couple years, including Quick Brown Fox Letterpress, Chambers, and Butterfly Dreams Boutique. Selling a mix of antique, vintage, and new home goods and accessories, their respective owners noticed the potential for a retail revival in the town.
“There were a lot of empty storefronts, and I was a little bit hesitant,” says Jojo Ans, owner of Heirloom, located at 230 Main Street. Before opening this new spot, Ans owned and operated the beloved Shop Little House in Woodstock. “But that was also the feeling I had of Woodstock 10 years ago—the town needed some new, fresh energy.”
Opening in Saugerties offered Ans the chance to rebrand slightly and lean into the town’s history. Whereas Shop Little House was a little more cabin-inspired and perhaps a little kitschier (embracing Woodstock’s ‘60s and ‘70s reputation), Heirloom draws on the area’s Victorian aesthetics and the value of refinement.
“I started to conceive a shop that would be a little bit more about quality over quantity,” Ans says. She was moved by the experience of cleaning out her parents’ home after they died, reevaluating what heirloom items really meant and trying to hold onto the things that were extra special. After speaking with friends, it became clear that many others spent the pandemic, especially, pruning their homes of useless clutter. With Heirloom, Ans wants to create a shop that sells items meant to withstand trends and embrace form and function above all else. “The idea is not to have a lot of things that are just dust collectors,” she says.
The store is tight, mainly featuring small antique items, like glassware and decor, like a variety of ashtrays with quirky logos and a range of beautiful antique glassware with colorful cups or delicately engraved illustrations. There are also framed needlepoint works featuring quirky sayings and intricate drawings. Scattered amongst the old are new and vintage-inspired clothes and ceramics, as well as a wall showcasing and selling works from local artists like Carole Kunstadt, Amy Ackerman, and Scott Chasse. (Ans is first and foremost a photographer).