Like most travelers and seekers of unique and exotic souvenirs, first-time shopkeeper Gina Larson was dazzled by the handcrafted, high-quality finds she routinely stumbled upon while living in Hong Kong and touring around Asia. “Wouldn’t it be cool to bring all of this stuff back home,” she remarked to her husband, whose career had brought them overseas for a stint some 15 years ago. Lucky for her, he agreed.
Little by little, with care and intention, she began amassing a collection of artfully and ethically spun home décor and furnishings from craftspeople—mainly women—and design centers (committed to fair labor practices) in Bali, Singapore, and elsewhere. Her far-flung shopping excursions continued even after the couple relocated back to the States, as friends who visited the home she decorated with her discoveries often asked her to source similar items for them.
Although nervous about a leap into entrepreneurship and the time demands of retail, Larson, who now resides in Westchester, opened Brass Monkey Home in June, in a former dance studio on Main Street in Cold Spring. She picked the name for her store and its location with the same thought she puts into everything she displays on the shelves. “Monkeys are found in exotic locations, brass has been used decoratively and functionally in homes for centuries, and Cold Spring is such an authentic community of mom-and-pop shops. People come here with a mindset of finding something unique.”
Intending to offer shoppers other-worldly uniqueness and what she describes as “global design for modern living,” Larson curates a varied array of one-of-a-kind imports—from hand-honed wooden cooking tools, glassware, light fixtures, and wall art to pillows, rugs, and furniture—that celebrate and preserve traditional crafts and the makers behind them. “There’s so much ‘monkey see, monkey do’,” she says of mass-produced furnishings, citing EPA estimates that 12-million tons of it end up in landfills annually.
Most of the furniture she carries is made stateside, due, only in part, to ongoing supply chain issues. “America has an amazing heritage in furniture making…generational family businesses in North Carolina, wood-cutting mills in Pennsylvania, Amish artisans…and it’s much easier to customize.” That said, Larson continues to travel internationally (she has her sights set on India and Morocco next), forging and firming up relationships with makers who entertain custom commissions for shoppers born with a designer’s eye. And she welcomes in-house appointments to discuss customizations to almost anything on display.
In addition to featuring all manner of home décor, Larson fashioned a built-in bookcase into a global pantry that varies with the seasons. Throughout the fall, spices and jarred sauces from Morocco are front and center, paired with tagines and other handmade cooking pots; a celebration of Chinese New Year is planned for the winter (expect sesame and chili sauces, dumpling molds, and lanterns). “Shop the pantry and the store, take home things to create a dinner party for yourself,” she offers.
Ultimately, Larson hopes to assist seekers like herself to “create well-designed spaces with unique, handcrafted pieces that are made with love, meant to last, and do good in our world.”
And the best part? No passport necessary.
Brass Monkey Home
26 Main St, Cold Spring
845.393.0090
Website
Related: Hudson Valley Magazine Launches First Home Design Awards for 2025
