Hendey's

A little background story.  I am an art and antiques dealer, historian, designer, and DIY crafter with New England blood and the heart of a Californian.  A selection of the vintage goods and handmade items I offer can be found in my Etsy store called Hendeys.  A rich family history sparked my interest in storied objects and the creative spirit.

Fowler & Sellars, Co. was the name of my great-grandfather's hardware and house furnishing store, which opened in White Plains, New York in 1895.  William Fowler was an amiable salesman with a great talent for display, as seen in these photos from the early 1900s:

But my love of antiques and handcrafts really started with my grandmothers.  Grandma H. lived in a big English Tudor that had lots of rooms filled with beautiful old things.  The back bedroom over the stairs was where you'd find the best treasures.  My dad’s college gear stored in old leather suitcases, sporting goods left over from my grandfather’s shop, fancy dresses from several generations back with their pretty matching shoes and sweet beaded handbags, my great-grandmothers mink stoles, the kind with the heads still on that terrified my siblings and I when we were young...and still give me the heebie jeebies.  Each piece we found in the attic told us a story of the past.  We developed an appreciation for old things.  The smell of a leather mitt, the patina of an old writing table, the feel of a well-worn fabric that has been softened with daily use.  These vintage things that surrounded me growing up, sparked so many questions.  What was it?  Who owned it?  Where was it made?  I loved hearing their stories from different family members.

Grandma S. was a quilter.  She made all of our clothes when we were young, which for me was quite embarrassing.  She didn’t live close by and couldn’t see how fast I was growing, so I usually ended up with hems that were too short and styles that were too young.  But I look at the pieces she made now and marvel at the tiny stitches that are so straight and spaced so evenly.  Her hands touched so many things in my home.  And she passed down all that she knew, all of her gifts.  So, beside the quilt that she made, sits a crewelwork pillow that my mother embroidered as she was waiting for my sister to be born.  I adorned it with a crocheted flower pin that my sister made one evening when the family was together.  These handmade pieces are the things that I will never part with, the things I will grab if disaster strikes, the things I will always cherish.

And since my grandmothers also taught me to share, I will work hard to pass their gifts to you by creating stories with love.  From my family to yours.