While our “Upstate” inspired installation at Whisper may be history, we have reassembled our favorites here. All of the items are created by our maker neighbors and partners in the Hudson Valley/Catskill zone. We chose them not only because of their originality and quality, but also because they look great. Thanks again to @AndNorth and @kateorne for their contributions to the curation.

Jay Teske Leather, Co Kingston, NY: Inspired by vintage leather goods, Jay Teske Leather Co. creates durable and structured products that will last a lifetime. Each piece is hand cut from American hides and vegetable-tanned in one of the few remaining domestic leather tanneries. These leather goods will absorb hand oils and age beautifully over time.

Writing Portfolio: This leather writing portfolio is made out of 4oz. vegetable-tanned leather that is sourced and tanned in the USA. Inspired by leather portfolios of the early 1900s, this portfolio can accommodate legal, letter and tabloid papers and features an expandable pocket for iPads and notebooks. Available in Natural, Black or Brown. Natural leather will patina with use.

Trivets and coasters: This trivet comes in natural, brown or black leather and will patina with use. 11” x 6” trivets feature hand-burnished edges and are made from 9/10oz vegetable tanned cowhide that is sourced and tanned in the USA. Coasters are available in smooth, dot or diamond texture.

Silk & Willow New Paltz, NY: Shellie Pomeroy is drawn to silk for it's durability, softness, and drape. "Silk is alluring, and the colors it radiates are breathtaking." She also works with other natural materials, such as cotton, for its textural beauty. All of the materials used by Silk & Willow are either biodegradable or can be easily re-used and recycled.

Plant Dyed Table Runner & Cover {Indigo: INDIGO is a traditional indigo blue. Each batch can vary slightly in shade.This tight weave cotton fabric is hand loomed and naturally dyed with plant materials sustainably gathered by artisans in India

Plant Dyed Napkins {Plum}The set of four napkins are un-pressed and the edging is unfinished to create a natural look with texture. Plant Dyed Napkin {Finished edges, Assorted colors} Each napkin is individually loomed and sewn with care and attention. Plant Dyed Table Runner {Saffron, tight weave} SAFFRON is a perfect harvest color. This earthy but bright hue will add warmth and texture to your gathering. Wide enough to cover a full table, or gather as a table runner.

Deborah Ehrlich Glassware Accord, NY: Deborah Ehrlich has been designing exquisitely simple crystal glassware since 1999. Sketched in her Hudson Valley studio, and hand blown, cut, and polished by master craftsmen in Sweden, each piece is a union of contemporary forms and traditional techniques. Paper thin, clear as water, and absolutely flawless, Ehrlich’s creations are instantly recognizable for their purity and delicacy. The strength of non-lead Swedish crystal allows a fineness of line that enhances her graceful, unadorned shapes.

“I work very, very slowly, just connecting dots on a piece of paper trying to find the most beautiful proportion,” says Ehrlich. “I’m looking for a certain silence, a quiet.

GREENTREE HOME Candle Delhi, NY: Jennifer Green’s studio is a sensory collage of raw beeswax, the sweet scent of honey, busy hands, spools of cotton wicks, scores of original molds, a rich palette of colors and textures and above all the gentle warm air. Each candle in our collection is lovingly made from 100% pure beeswax, hand poured and finished.

12 inch Church Tapers: Simple and stylish, the12 inch Church candles are just divine.

Laetitia Hussain Dart Board Artworks Hudson, NY: Laetitia currently lives and maintains her studio in Hudson NY. Hussain's work and installations are elaborations of emotional reactions to social and environmental issues. “I kind of have an obsession driving my car along country roads. That’s where I feel like most of my thoughts come together. I require a certain amount of time alone with my ideas; I pull over, sketch and write them down. In my car is where I can focus best. That’s why I originally moved here.”

These individual pieces from one of her elaborate installations are made from solid elm and are meant to be both artworks and playable dart boards.

White Pike Whiskey Burdett, NY: White Pike is a clear, white whiskey – aged for just a short time. It’s farmed, distilled and bottled in upstate New York, using locally-sourced corn, spelt, and malted wheat. The smooth finish lets it play well with others from sun up to sun down. Distilled to give cocktails a backbone, it’s a modern whiskey made to mix up your day. We also like it because the folks at Mother, NY created the brand and have among their staff several upstaters.

Ravenwood Maple Syrup Olivebridge, NY

No Upstate collection would be complete without one of its signature products, homemade maple syrup. This beautiful product was produced and bottled by our friends at Ravenwood, who explore the integration of agriculture, culinary arts and the local makers movement – all staples of NY state’s rich history, and each thriving today. With backgrounds in a range of fields in the food and design world, Chris Lanier and Dana McClure aim to create a space that celebrates New York’s distinct seasonality.

Production was quite limited this year, but a few bottles are still left at the Whisper store.

Upstate Stock Upstate Stock is a New York city based American heritage accessories and knitwear brand that manufactures their goods in Upstate New York. Upstate Stock was born out of simple fact that American manufacturing of the highest quality is still out there, the same manufacturing from decades ago that is at a standard that very few countries can match.

Olive Melange With Natural Deerskin Full Glove {Left}
Black Melange Ragg Wool Beanie {Middle}
Charcoal Melange Fingerless Ragg Wool Gloves {Right}

Upstate Diary Highland, NY

Photographer and editor/curator Kate Orne digs deep into the creative landscape of the area and produces an alt take on the “at home” with artists, actors, and professional creatives in their rural environments. Beautifully photographed, the stories are accompanied by interviews that are personal and unpretentious. While reading, one forgets how famous and influential these subjects are. Both in print and on line Upstate Diary is the definitive publication which features and promotes its creators and ways of living.

Filed under hudson valley, craftsmanship, design.

Since we last looked at the work of Allied Maker, they have developed a few new items. In particular, the Arc Globe. This piece was recently specified for one of the Soho House’s new locations across the pond at 76 Dean Street in London and is on display in New York at Colony - 324 Canal Street.

Wood and metal combinations in repetitions of three is a staple of the Allied Maker brand, reflected in the Arc Collection. There is a repetition of the geometric arc shape seen in a trio throughout this collection; the hand-bent arc loop which connects the pipe to the fixture, the hand-bent arc top which connects the fixture the pipe and the hand-turned wood piece which connects the fixture to the socket. The fixture uses the arc shape to create a curved path for function. Seemingly as though no electricity is required, the arc top conceals wiring required for the fixture to illuminate. The Arc Collection uses 3 shade styles; half dome, half dome with globe and simply the globe. The Arc Globe cuts to the chase, representing the simplest form in the collection, a glowing sphere of light suspended by a elegant trio of arcs.

Here is a great video of Allied Maker handcrafting one of their pieces:

Filed under design, lighting, local.

This week we wanted to share a beautiful video of a friend and one of our maker partners, Samuel Moyer. As you may know, we have several of Sam’s pieces at Hudson Woods, including the console table at the entry hall, live oak bench in the great room and custom built kitchen pantry. In this video Sam provides cerebral insights into the life of a craftsman, his design process and where he draws inspiration.

Filed under craftsmanship, design, lifestyle.

One of the pieces that best embodies the collaborative spirit of Hudson Woods is our custom built kitchen pantry. Conceived and designed by the Lang Architecture team, the construction, material sourcing and craftsmanship is done in conjunction with one of our maker partners, Sam Moyer.

The piece is designed to nestle into the great room as an extension to the kitchen. It has built in electrical outlets, storage for small appliances and three drawer sizes to accommodate various needs.

The pantry is built from solid black walnut, soapstone countertop and brass accents. Sam sources the wood from ethically harvested lumbar yards and the soapstone from a local stone yard. The boards are hand selected by Sam and arranged intentionally to create a cohesive piece, highlighting natural characteristics of the wood and celebrating its imperfections.

The wood batten strips on the doors are hand cut and nailed to create seamless bi-fold doors while adding texture and depth. The drawers are made with a touch of traditional craftsman quality, using hand cut dovetail joinery and in-set grooves for smoother sliding, better durability and greater longevity. The leather door pulls are a custom touch conceived by Sam to compliment the custom in-laid brass details.

Working with craftspeople who share our values helps bring the spirit of the Hudson Valley into the homes and the kitchen pantry in particular allows home owners to invest in a piece of custom heirloom furniture.

Filed under design, furniture, community, craftsmanship.