The changing of the seasons sparks excitement, and embracing those cycles allows us to soak in the beauty that nature affords. Nowhere is this more evident than at Hort & Pott—a secret garden-like home goods store in Greene County that celebrates the seasons and disrupts the common perception of retail.
Short for “horticulture and pottery,” the shop—a red house in the Greenville hamlet of Freehold—is the brainchild of Todd Carr and Carter Harrington. Their creativity overflows inside and out with a bounty of fresh and dried flowers and plants; concrete leaf castings; vintage pieces from their travels; and products from local artisans. The interior is carefully curated, with tablescapes and ornamentation that reflect the season.
“We create seasonally inspired, destination-based experiences,” Harrington says. “It’s driven by what each season has to offer—that really influences our work.”
Carr was a garden designer for a decade before a stint as garden editor for Martha Stewart Living. He is also a ceramic artist. Harrington brings interior design chops with a degree from Pratt Institute and a career in interiors.
“We’d been living in the city for 10 years when we moved here in 2016,” Harrington says. “We were at a point in our life where we were looking for something like this. It was a really hot summer in New York City, and we spent our first year up here kind of in La La Land, enjoying the creeks and rivers—then we experienced our first winter up here, and it was a rough one!”
But the duo stuck it out and, according to Harrington, “the following spring is when the opportunity to start a shop really took hold.” Their first space was in Oak Hill before relocating to nearby Freehold.
Rather than offer usual retail hours year-round, Hort & Pott is open by appointment only. “I call it the RSVP system,” says Harrington. With roughly 150 visitors per season, he says, “If we don’t do the RSVP, it gets crazy, although it’s crazy even with that. We try to give people space, while being able to accommodate everyone.
The concept is more akin to an art installation or a pop-up shop than a standard retail shop. “We’re open four weeks per season, then we tear it all down; it’s a little insane,” Harrington admits. “It’s about the ambiance. Someone once called it ‘horticultural theater.’ It is cyclical, in that we follow the seasons, but it’s never the same year after year. It’s a hook to keep people visiting over and over again.”
Hort & Pott has a loyal following, as well as a steady stream of new customers and a burgeoning online shop. What’s surprised Carr and Harrington the most is how far their customer base has reached. “We have customers who come here from California,” Harrington says. “If they’re heading east, they’re making it a point to stop here. And we’re like, ‘Oh my God, you came here just to see lil’ old us?”
One visit to Hort & Pott, and you’re a convert—especially during the holiday season. A “welcome table” greets visitors at the front of the space. This time of year, it’s surrounded by a frosted tree, a water feature, and foraged branches with icicles hanging down. Loblolly pine and hydrangea sit in cement urns. Nature-themed products abound, like milkweed ornaments and their signature wreaths filled with foraged materials. “It’s a ‘culled from the woodland’ vibe,” Harrington says.
Deeper into the shop, that vibe begins to glow with glimmering gold, mercury glass, and pearlescent ornaments. “We have German candle clips, scirocco pieces, things that really shine,” explains Harrington.
A cabin ethos follows in another part of the shop, featuring copper tones, dark plaids, eco-printed cushions, cast-bronze brown bears, and Hudson Valley maple syrup.
Another table gives off Scandinavian feels, with red and white fabrics, bottle-brush trees, and cardinal and woodpecker ornaments. Lastly, the rear of the shop is a nostalgic homage to the ethos of the “Home Alone” franchise with traditional reds, plaids, and greens.
All of that somehow fits onto the 40-by-15-foot shop floor; visitors also stop into Carr’s ceramics workshop to admire the kiln and stand around the bar to sip hot cider. “We’re maximalists, so too much is never enough!” Harrington says.
That being said, the couple is ready for a bit of a breather. “We haven’t stopped for six years,” says Harrington. Finishing a three-year renovation at their Italianate house not far from the shop, they decided to shorten their winter hours a bit and take time to focus on life itself. “We want to embrace the winter,” says Harrington, “and decorate our house with our own aesthetic and our vision.”
Their next iteration of work will include sharing their home decor with people; after all, they’ve been successful at doing exactly that for a while now. “We started the shop, then Covid hit and we thought, ‘With all that’s going on now, is it weird that we’re just creating pretty things?’” Harrington recalls. “But we’ve brought so many people so much joy; our work touches people, and we’re able to combine our creativity with a business that people love.”
Hort & Pott
Freehold
Hortandpott.com
IG: @hortandpott
