Faye Storms
Blue Barn Marketplace
Tell us about Blue Barn and what you offer.
We started in 1979, so we’ve been in business for 46 years. We’re probably one of the oldest businesses in the county (Ulster County). I’ve been serving four generations.
We started out as a little tiny antique shop and then we just added and kept adding. We built another building and we had a general store at one time.
We did reproductions so it became a mix of antiques and reproductions. And then I became an interior designer so we added that service – interior design and custom-made furniture. Now it’s a dealer rental space. We have 15 dealers. It’s very eclectic. I’m also an artist – a painter – the second floor is my studio. I do landscapes – pastels and oils.
What are the requirements that classify an item as an antique?
I usually say it has to be 100 years old or so to be an antique, so that would take us up to the 1930s. Anything beyond that I consider more vintage. People consider vintage to be from the 50s, 60s or 70s.
Then you have Victorian stuff from the 1800s.
How and where do you source your antiques from?
There used to be a ton of auctions. Also, people who are selling a house will bring in items for us to look at. We’ll go shopping in rural areas like the Adirondacks and find some interesting stuff.
Was there a specific item or experience that made you fall in love with antiques?
It started when I was in my late teens. I just loved how rich the items were with history. All the furniture was oak which at the time was the most sought-after. I loved the handcraftedness, the carving, the way things were done in such beautiful detail. They took a lot of time and care and precision. Being an artist. I always loved well-designed things.
Now, I love the fact that everything I have in the store is being recycled and not thrown away. A chair can be reupholstered 15 times. A good quality chair can last for 200 years.
Tell us about your customer base. Has it evolved or stayed consistent throughout the years?
It’s evolved. The area used to be an inexpensive place for people to come to go camping and hang out in the Catskills and go antiquing. Now it’s filled with second homers and Airbnb visitors.
People used to come in looking for furniture and furnishings for their house. Now, because they’re just here for the weekend, they’re looking for something small, like a piece of clothing or a piece of jewelry. Something they can easily travel with.
What’s the most unique or surprising item you’ve ever had in the store?
That’s a hard one because there have been so many unbelievable things we’ve had. We did have a full-size, humongous grizzly bear! We also had a vintage 1961 Nash metropolitan car. It was the cutest little sports car from the 30s or 40s. It was out in front of the store and people were constantly stopping to take pictures in front of it. It was a showstopper.
Do you have a personal favorite piece you’ve ever owned or sold?
There’s something I actually sold recently. It was a pillowcase about 18 x 30 from 1908. It was hand-painted with jewels set in it. The painting was of a Native American with his headdress on. The coloration was gorgeous. A collector had been eyeing it for about a month and he finally came in and said he had to have it. It was about $1,500. He said it was like nothing he’d ever seen. It was just so beautifully done.
What do you love about the Shandaken area?
It’s absolutely one of the most beautiful places in the world. My husband and I used to travel all over the world doing photography, and we could hardly wait to come back to our little place in Shandaken because it’s so beautiful.
We’re right down the road from Bel Air Ski Center. We have beautiful little towns and villages. We have outrageous restaurants and a lot of breweries. We have live theater at the Phoenicia Playhouse. We have the country’s first green library. We have a million hiking trails and skiing and kayaking down the Hudson River. And we’re close to Woodstock, which is a huge tourist attraction.
What advice would you give someone who wants to start collecting antiques?
I think most people start collecting antiques because there’s something they get intrigued by. It might be a perfume bottle or a particular kind of purse or a designer. I would say just start with one item and Google it. You can Google anything now and learn the history behind it. And the more you learn about something, the more you want to know about it. And the more you want to collect the next thing and the next thing.
What can a shopper expect when visiting Blue Barn?
They can expect to have a really nice, easygoing time. Blue Barn has always been people-oriented. There is no pressure when people come in. We play music and we don’t bug people. People can spend a couple of hours walking around and looking at things – it’s sort of like a meditation. They really enjoy themselves.
July 2025
