Shopping is one of those activities that roughly half the population loves, and does partly for the sheer fun of browsing or bargain hunting. The other half won’t step foot in a store until they’re down to the last smear of peanut butter in the jar or are desperate for socks that don’t have built-in ventilation. Whether you love it, hate it, or have an it’s-complicated relationship with shopping, here’s some great news: Hudson, New York, just an hour from Pittsfield, is fast becoming a shopper’s paradise, where you can pick up just about everything you need in a single day.
Within a span of about a mile, Hudson boasts dozens of independent home decor boutiques and stores for everything from bedsheets to hand-thrown ceramic bowls and bars of pressed Spanish figs. Sure, there are some larger chain stores, too, but why bother, when there’s such a wealth of small businesses to choose from? So gas up the car and get yourself caffeinated, and join us for the first in our series on shopping in Hudson.
We’re kicking it off with a look at where to shop for furniture. Note: There are so many antiques stores in Hudson that doing all of them justice would require a separate article by someone with far more expertise on the topic. Just a handful have been included here, and have been chosen for their variety and accessibility.
Furniture Shopping in Hudson
Finch
555 Warren Street
With its sleek storefront and “Life, curated” tagline, Finch might seem stark and galleryesque. But inside this warm, welcoming shop are vintage and modern pieces chosen for their timeless style and functionality. Finch also sells a variety of soft goods and décor.
Riverfront Antiques and Design Center
99 South 3rd Street
You’ll want to mentally prepare yourself for stimulation overload in this venue, which contains nearly 30 furniture, antiques, art, and decor sellers all in one massive warehouse complex.
The Hudson Mercantile,
202 Allen Street
Ten thousand square feet of furniture and décor, much of it antiques, from a handful of different shopkeepers with chic taste.
TK Home & Garden,
441 Warren Street
A two-story shop filled floor to ceiling with furnishings, garden furniture, housewares, art and gifts. It’s hard to choose favorites here, but the rustic cabinets, tables, and outdoor planters are worth a careful look.
FRG Objects and Design/Art
217 Warren Street, 2nd Floor
Part showroom and gallery and part studio for interior designer FR Gillette, FRG is inspiration, eye candy, and artful oasis rolled into one.
Fern Handcrafted Furniture
243 Warren Street
Love handmade and hand-upholstered wood furniture? The pieces at Fern are an investment, but the quality and one-of-a-kind aesthetic are well worth it.
Neven & Neven Moderne
618 Warren Street
From the Crayola-colored sign over the doors, you might expect Moderne to be a spunky, pop-art ode to the ’60s. But this large shop, a Hudson mainstay since 1987, with a cult following of both domestic and international customers, boasts an envy-inspiring collection of midcentury furniture. If the pieces looks pristine, that’s because many of them have been beautifully hand-restored by the owners.
Foley & Cox Home
317 Warren Street
If you like your home stores open, airy, and meticulously merchandised, Foley & Cox is a must. A great mix of antique, vintage, and modern, with a nod toward pieces that are as functional as they are beautiful.
3FortySeven
347 Warren Street
Antique furniture, as well as lighting, tribal carpets and textiles, ceramics, and glass.
Fig & Bella
443 Warren Street
The kind of shop you just want to linger in, Fig & Bella is a required stop for any shopper in Hudson. Their soft goods—including throw pillows, blankets, and scarves—are hand-dyed in the owners’ nearby studio. Fig & Bella also has a carefully edited selection of rustic-modern furniture, including benches, dining tables, and coffee and accent tables.
Combray Gallery
307 Warren Street
Impeccable continental antique furniture and art objects, especially nineteenth-century neo-classicist and twentieth-century design from Sweden, Austria, Germany, and France.
Hudson Home
366 Warren Street
This light-filled, expansive shop and showroom is owned by designer Richard Bodin, who sources much of his furniture, linens, tableware, accessories, and art objects from his international travels. He also stocks items from high-end manufacturers like Matouk, Stark, and Simon Pearce. Love what you see? Bodin and his team are available to create interior designs for your home.
Chris Lehrecke
415 Warren Street
One-of-a-kind modern handmade furniture and lighting with distinctive African, Asian, Shaker, and Scandinavian touches.
Gilded Owl
318 Warren Street
An eclectic collection of antiques meant to help customers integrate different styles into their interior design. The owners also boast the second-largest collection of Chiavari chairs in the world.
White Rice
531 Warren Street
This bit-of-everything boutique bills itself as a lifestyle store. While the clothing and gifts are definitely worth exploring, the imported Indonesian furniture and housewares are the standouts.
Second Show Community Thrift Shop
519 Warren Street
For those who prefer to reuse and recycle—and not spend two months’ worth of paychecks—this secondhand store has some great bargains.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore
829 Route 66
The only shop on our list that’s outside of downtown, Hudson’s ReStore is worth the detour. This enormous warehouse has a constantly changing collection of furniture, from futons and sofas to lowboys, lamps, bathroom vanities, kitchen cabinets, and bars. Some items have seen more love, and are priced accordingly. But for a little more cash, you’ll have your pick of dozens of pieces in good to excellent condition, plus unusual finds, like a Vintage Windsor Gas Range from Montgomery Ward.