Shopping for gifts can be stressful. Especially at big, crowded malls. A different more relaxing approach is to galavant through town, stopping at small local stores to make your purchases. Whether you’re looking for trinkets for your kids, gourmet treats for you pets, or a watch for your husband, the wondrous shops and scenic streets of the Hudson Valley have something for you. Here are some of our suggestions.
Tender Land Home
Tender Land Home in Phoenicia is always good for great gifts, including cozy scarves in plush microfiber, shaped and slotted so they’re pretty around the collar. Super-slouchy hats in soft knit acrylic come in stripes, neutrals, and more ($11.95). And get your Prince on in a leather wallet ($24.50). Tenderlandhome.com
Paper Trail
Rhinebeck’s Paper Trail has endless options for holiday gifting, including fragrant Scandinavisk candles from Denmark. Choose candles ($48) or diffusers ($65) in breezy Fjord, piney Scog, crisp Snö, or spicy Jul. And warm her hands with colorful, chic leather gloves lined with cozy wool. Made in Sweden by Hestra, they come in orange, turquoise, red, or navy ($85). Papertrailrhinebeck.com
Hudson Home
Hudson Home on Warren Street has gifts curated with an impeccable eye: exquisite stone keepsake boxes come in striking black zebra marble, green striated onyx, and more: 4” box ($38); 5” box ($85). Adornments include urbanely floaty, luxurious scarves in muted, 100-percent linen by Libeco ($102). Hudson-home.com
Argentum Home
Argentum Home in Saugerties offers gorgeous goods sourced from all over the world. Handmade beaded zipper clutches work for everything from jump drives to jewelry, cosmetics, and writing implements, and come in a range of sizes and gorgeous colors and patterns. Made in Indonesia. Small ($18); large or with a shoulder strap ($22). There are delightful little silk brocade lipstick cases ($3 each). Argentumhome.com
Rural Residence
Rural Residence in Hudson has top-shelf renditions of the basics gone luxe: A handmade wool felt and leather pouch stores power cords neatly and is perfect for traveling, in shades like sand, charcoal, and midnight ($48). And a rosewood and ebony tape measure makes marking feet and inches (and centimeters) downright highbrow. Beautifully fashioned to fit in your hand, 78 inches ($18). Ruralresidence.com
Utility Canvas
Utility Canvas combines smart workmanship with an unfussy aesthetic in goods for home, kids, and grownups. At their Gardiner warehouse: cotton canvas curtains in bright orange, a creamy natural, or go-with-everything charcoal, with convenient grommets along the top. Sized for a shower, they’d be great on a window, too ($98). Well-designed soft and sturdy quilted throw blankets get a refreshing pop in orange ($135); see the website for 17 other colors. Utilitycanvas.com
Burkelman
Modern home and design shop Burkelman in Cold Spring kicks up the homey skirts with tongue-in-cheek storage canisters that look like tin cans but are made of silver-glazed porcelain. Quite functional, with airtight lids, they’ll clever up your bathroom or kitchen. Set of three, designed by Selab and Allessandro Zeletti ($28). Shopburkelman.com
Roxbury General Store
Form follows function at Roxbury General Store in (yup) Roxbury. The classic farmhouse pitcher by master potter Michael Boyer is glazed in peppery brown and cream. At 7.5” high it’s the perfect size for pouring cream over berries, syrup across pancakes, or grog into goblets ($45). A hand-carved wood cutting board made from local black walnut adds a touch of rustic wabi-sabi to any table. Use it as a sleek cheese and charcuterie board, too ($100). Roxburygeneral.com
This article appears in Fall/Winter 2016.
