Although we come to Housatonic Trading all the time, we have yet to do a feature about them. It was time to change that, so we told owner Robert Graham to be ready, we were coming in to interview him. Located in Bantam on Rt 202, it’s the perfect stop for us when we’re dashing around Litchfield County on our various adventures. Let’s hear what the store is all about…
Robert is ready for question time with Unlocking Connecticut 🙂
Tell us about the types of things you sell here!
It ranges from antiques, to vintage, to contemporary/today home furnishings and décor, with a mix of gifts and occasional/seasonal gifts. Good quality furnishings that we feel are perfect for this particular area and our clienteles’ homes. We supplement vintage and antique pieces with modern-day pieces that are made in a traditional manner. We can also order pieces for our customers as they need them. We carry Dovetail furniture, sold by design firms across the country.
It varies from farm tables to chairs, sofas, settees, love seats, hutches, and dressers. Our styles run the whole gamut; English, French, early American, Primitive, and lately, we’ve introduced more mid-century.
The store seems to be sectioned into different styles, is that the case?
That’s something we’re doing currently, putting collections together in different “worlds” – Asia world, modern world, kitchen world…But we encourage mixing up the worlds…two different styles can very much work together. Something from Asia world can work very nicely with something contemporary.
We’re so in love with this world ⬆
Where do you find your antiques?
Most of our antiques are sourced locally, from local estates in CT, NY, Western MA. This is our 5th year in business in this area, a lot of people approach us. It’s phone calls, walk-ins, emails…I don’t have to go out and search too hard. I’m pretty selective about what I take. Everything you see, I would want to have in my home.
How did the store come about?
We got into this by chance really…my partner and I have always had a passion for buying cool stuff. We were doing a renovation on our house, and needed to put all our stuff somewhere, so we rented a space in the building across the street. Half was going to be Robert’s studio and the other half we were going to use for storage. Well, people started coming in while I was finishing painting and doing the floors, asking when I was going to open? What was I going to sell? So we decided to put the studio in the back, and put price tags on our stuff and sell it…and then we could go buy more stuff! Before we knew it we were a store. We expanded the selling space and eventually outgrew it and moved here.
What did you do before having the store?
What I did before my store, is also what I do now, which is, I manage my partner’s art career and our art business. His studio is across the street, Robert Deyber. Before that, I was in IT consulting.
Do you sell online?
We do sell a lot online. We sell on Ebay, we advertise on Craig’s List, on Etsy, Wallapop, and on our own website.
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Lora looking up in fine art world…
Ready to interview, in modern world…
Robert Graham surprised us with a copy of Robert Deyber’s latest coffee table book (sold in store). We love it!
Finally, here’s the team – go say hi and browse a little. The perfect way to while away some hours!
920 Bantam Road, Bantam, CT 06750
(860) 361-6299
Words: Beverley Canepari, photos by Lora Karam
I love this place. The people – Rob, Coleen, Aidan – all wonderful. Fun merchandise and I know – I’ve bought many an item or piece of art there over the years. It’s a fun place for us to meet to discuss the rowing club – always a new table or couch setting for us to gather and talk.
But I love the coffee, latte’s. Aidan makes a great latte and he knows exactly what I like. It’s actually the best in the area. I only wish they were open earlier during the week once rowing season begins. Rob – are you listening? 🙂