New Owners For The Stone & Picket Continue To Light The Way

By Nancy K. Crevier

The Stone & Picket Colonial Lighting is a 15-year-old Woodbury business, but it is a new venture for owners Jodi and Scott O’Keefe, who purchased the specialty handcrafted lighting business from Frank and Carol Hambrecht this past August.

Located at 242 Bacon Pond Road, barely a minute past the intersection of Routes 6 and 64 in Woodbury, the lighting store is housed in the barn of the O’Keefes’ private property, steps away from the 1782 vintage colonial farmhouse they call home.

Natives of the area, Jodi (Craig) having grown up in Southbury and Newtown, and Scott a lifelong resident of Woodbury, both have a natural love of the history with which New England is imbued.

“The opportunity came along and we felt it was important to continue the business,” said Mr O’Keefe. They were familiar with the products, having purchased lighting from The Stone & Picket when refurbishing their previous antique home on Main Street in Woodbury. “We were impressed with the quality of the lighting we bought from Frank. When you build a quality home, you want to use the best lighting fixtures to go with it. It’s the good way to finish a house,” he said. They are pleased to be able to continue offering the high-end products to others who find value in the finishing touches of decorating a home and yard.

The Stone & Picket features indoor and outdoor lighting that reflects the early American style that melds well with the traditional designs of architecture common in New England. All of the pieces, from simple box wall lanterns to sweeping candelabras, are handmade from copper, tin, and brass by New England craftspeople, with a variety of finishes available.

“Our best seller is the outdoor colonial post light,” said Mr O’Keefe. Topped with ornate finials, the post lights are made with either a glass chimney within the metal trimmed glass panels, or electric candles for a more rustic look. Stone & Picket also carries specialty cedar posts with no-show, internal wiring for mounting the post lights.

Rectangular box wall lanterns and onion lanterns — oblong glass globes encircled by a narrow copper or brass cage and suspended from a matching hook — are also popular lighting fixtures selected by customers of The Stone & Picket Colonial Lighting.

Overhead lighting can stay in the theme of early American with any of the drop lighting fixtures. Brass or tin shades, some with ornate cutouts of stars or floral designs, offer a decorative theme for this option.

The Stone & Picket also carries a line of handcrafted wall sconces, with hand painted or plain tin reflecting plates. Chandeliers with anywhere from two to ten electric “candles” suspended at the ends of elegant arched arms boast central columns of turned wood or tin.

Because every lamp is custom crafted to order, to the customer’s specifications, The Stone & Picket is able to not only provide new lighting, but can match lights to those already in existence on a customer’s property.

“People like the New England charm of a small business with quality products, I think,” said Ms O’Keefe, “and a lot of customers like to support regional handcrafters.”

“We’ve had a great response to the business, so far,” added Mr O’Keefe. “The product practically sells itself.”

For more information and for hours, call 203-263-0459, or contact the O’Keefes at thestoneandpicket@yahoo.com.