Kingston’s boutique Newt offers “a collection of exceptional and unlikely objects.” Gifts, office supplies, jewelry, books, children’s toys, textiles, and a colorful explosion of knick-knacks line the shelves and tables of the Uptown shop.
Owners and wives Cindi Blondell and Carolyn Johnson opened Newt in the summer of 2022. “One of our guiding principles when we first opened shop and something we still adhere to is this old William Morris quote: ‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful,’” Johnson says. “In a perfect world we would love the intersection of those two things whenever possible,” Blondell adds.
One of their more popular items are homemade painted glasses holders. They are painted to look like a piece of art, mimicking a face, but serve a purpose. They also sell beautiful, colorful fire extinguishers. When they first opened, it was a common housewarming gift that realtors bought for clients.
The work of local makers and artists make up a big part of the shop. Bob Vosper, former Town Justice in Rosendale carves handcrafted wooden cutting boards and Ali Shinall a Kingston local of Winter-Maker Designs, handmakes embroidered jewelry. “It’s fun to find a good, useful thing that you will treasure forever or make a very happy gift for somebody else,” Johnson says.
Before their current life in the Hudson Valley, Johnson and Blondell both worked in advertisement, making commercials all around the world. “In our former life, we both traveled quite a bit for work, and one of our favorite things was popping into different little independent stores we would go to. We just adored it so much, and it brought so much joy,” Johnson said.
They traveled all over Europe, Canada, the UK, and Morocco just to name a few destinations. Blondell says that visiting local, independent shops helped the pair immerse themselves in the culture. “We felt like we were transported. When you go into a new space that you’ve never been before there’s a little bit of magic to it,” Blondell says.
Newt has become Kingston’s version of an immersive tourist shop. Johnson and Blondell say they get customers from all over the state and even some international guests. “In our shop we get told so many times by customers that come in, ‘I just love this store, I love the way it makes me feel,’” Johnson says.
Blondell and Johnson got married in 2016 at Stone Tavern Farm in Roxbury and moved to Kingston in 2020 just two years prior to opening Newt. Before their Hudson Valley relocation, they’d lived in New York City and Boulder, Colorado, and Los Angeles. They both felt called to small town life opposed to the hustle and bustle of the city and stress of advertisement. “I used to say, ‘I just want that life.’ You live around the corner, you ride your bike to the neighborhood, and now we actually live one mile from the shop and walk to work,” she says.
The name Newt was inspired by a movie. “As you do during a global pandemic, we were watching movies one day and we already knew that we wanted a one-syllable, one-word name and were tossing ideas back and forth,” Blondell says. “We were watching the second Alien movie and the little girl’s name is Newt. I don’t know what happened but we just looked at each other and it just stuck and then we loved the sound of it.” They then realized it was an intersection of the “words” need and “want.”
To the owners, their location in Kingston is the perfect place for a shop like Newt. “You have such a vibrant, creative community with the loveliest people. You can be on a world-class hike with world-class views and then go to an incredible art gallery on the same day. There’s just so much to see and do and so much natural beauty,” Johnson says.
With its calming atmosphere, the two feel that Newt is a second home for them. “I enjoy being in this space so much. I enjoy the people. We meet some interesting people and characters. I mean that with love,” Blondell says.
They both say that even on busy days, their customers and neighbors make it all worth it. “We just love talking to all these wonderful people everyday. Especially coming out of a pandemic in 2022, just as everybody was emerging from their homes and after that isolation, it was just so special to be in a very public communal environment where all day we were just meeting new people, chit chatting and having conversations,” Blondell says. “We get to have our neighbors and friends and regulars come in and catch up.”
During the month of December, Johnson and Blondell plan to remain open seven days a week for the holiday season. In the meantime, Newt is open Thursday through Sunday.
Newt
58 N Front Street, Kingston, NY
