Old Meets New At The Weathered Way

By Nancy K. Crevier

The Weathered Way, at 3 Obtuse Road, just past the Currituck Road and Route 25 junction, opens Saturday, December 1, for a 16-day introductory open house and holiday sale, from 10 am to 5 pm every day.  The mother/son team of Kathy and Johnny Williams hope that the shop will fill a niche that they see needs bolstering in the community.

The focus of Weathered Way is on smaller home décor items, said Ms Williams, rather than larger antique furnishings. The exceptions, of course, are the furniture pieces made by Johnny Williams, a fine woodworker. Their selections are meant to give an individual look to homes, instead of the homogenous look that happens when buying from big box stores, they said.

The red barn just beyond the Williams’ antique home houses the Weathered Way, with the customer entrance located to the side of the building. The barn serves as a combination workshop on the lower level for Mr Williams and an upstairs store area featuring the eclectic blend of items old and new for the home.

Mr Williams’ handmade furniture pieces, crafted from a variety of American hardwoods, are mixed in among the antique accessories and vintage prints in the 500-square-foot shop. A “quarter-life crisis” led the young artisan to leave his job in marketing in the New York City area and follow a career path in woodworking that has allowed his creative side to flourish.

“I took a summer course in Maine on furniture making, and fell in love with it,” said Mr Williams. From there, he enrolled in a fine woodworking program at the College of the Redwoods in California, before returning to the East Coast to craft furniture that is “contemporary, with a country feel,” he said.

Before moving to Connecticut in 2009, Ms Williams, a native of the Cheshire region of England, worked for five years in the British antiques business in Mamaroneck, N.Y. “Then I went into selling vintage prints, matted and framed, at antique fairs,” she said. Along the way, she continued to collect antique and lovingly worn pieces. With the renovation of the barn completed in 2010, it seemed wise, she said, to consider expanding her print business and open a shop in conjunction with her son.

“We scour everywhere, from estate sales to flea markets, for good quality antiques,” said Mr Williams. “We take the challenge out of the search for our customers. We do the picking for the people,” he said.

While small, the shop is laid out in a manner that invites browsing. A large window fills one wall, casting natural light throughout the room and across the wide board flooring, aided by overhead inset lighting and uplighting from well-placed tabletop lamps.

Scented soy candles in recycled wine bottles by Paddy Wax, and the harder to find colorful candle tapers for the holidays by Anna Candles, are displayed on rustic tables alongside holiday ornaments and topiaries. Midcentury Dutch pewter pitchers share a tabletop with smooth-as-glass maple cutting boards made by Mr Williams. Antique Mason jars and hefty vintage soda fountain glasses are lined up on a metal-topped harvest table. A corner shelf displays a collection of “Madmen era” silver-rimmed cocktail glassware. Nearby, a small shelf system is filled with tinware and whimsical ceramic pottery pieces by artist Nina Pellegrini of Mount Claire, N.J.

The stairwell leading between Mr Williams’s woodworking shop and the salesroom is lined with framed vintage prints, including a few rare, hand-colored birds’ eggs prints, and numerous equine and canine prints.

A number of the items at the Weathered Way are the handiwork of Ms Williams, who, like her son, has found a release for her creative side. Decoupage coasters are made of tiles covered in antique street maps or colorful postage stamps, and many of the holiday decorations are her work. They add a bright note to the more subdued hues of seasoned wooden benches and antiques that have traded shine for a well-loved patina.

“We’re pairing antiques with a lot of soul and the contemporary look,” said Mr Williams, of the mix of new pieces and those altered by time that sit side by side at the Weathered Way. “We like to think it’s a good intersection of our different perspectives and styles. I bring an influence of Brooklyn, the artisanal scene, and American craft,” he said,  while his mother has a decided English country style.

Pricing at the Weathered Way appeals to a broad range of budgets. “We want people to come in and be able to buy a small gift, or purchase a piece of furniture,” Mr Williams said.

“We’re very excited by this,” Ms Williams said, “and hope the town will be, too.”

The Weathered Way is at 3 Obtuse Road, Newtown, near the intersection of Route 25 and Currituck Road. The store will be open every day, December 1 through December 16, from 10 am to 5 pm, and after that date by calling 203-364-0251 or visiting www.weatheredway.com to schedule an appointment. Customers are also welcome to stop by anytime the “OPEN” shingle is on display near the road. The Weathered Way plans to open for extended seasonal sales throughout the year.

Mr Williams is happy to consult on custom furniture requests. For more information on contacting him, visit www.johnnyawilliams.com.