Husband and wife open The Weathered Barn in Greenport
The interior of the Weathered Barn Lifestyle Boutique on Greenport's Front Street. Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas
At The Weathered Barn in Greenport, devil’s walking sticks cross paths with silver jewelry incorporating fishbones, with wind chimes dripping in ceramic glaze, with tabletop settings crafted of wood, cloth, metal and stone. It is an “ever-evolving boutique,” says Rena Wilhelm, 53, who owns the store with her husband Jason, 50.
“I like to call it a collection of my favorite things,” Rena says. An artist “since I could hold a crayon,” she spent years in interior design and retail while dabbling in crafts. Eventually, she and Jason, a Syosset native, opened their own store in the Hudson Valley, before falling in love with Greenport 11 years ago thanks to a family connection.
The couple work and craft together. Jason makes the candles on-site — including devil’s walking stick — heady with cedar, sandalwood, patchouli, pine and bergamot ($20). And Rena has returned to art — not with crayon, but watercolors and pen and ink on paper, from greeting cards ($6) to framed paintings ($200). “When I was doing interior design and crafts, my own art took a back seat,” she says. “It’s the first time I’ve been able to sell my own work.”
The space on Front Street with original 100-year-old planked flooring and shelves reclaimed from local sources — including from White’s Hardware — reflects the seasons, the latest place the Wilhelms have traveled, and the interplay between the artisans who supply the store and the owner-makers themselves.
The shop offers home fragrances as well as bath and body and tabletop items so unusual and appealing that you’ll want to touch, feel and smell everything in sight — which makes The Weathered Barn a one-of-a-kind store.
Look for Greenport silversmith Carolyn Wells’ inventive jewelry that includes stones, seeds, leather chains and handcrafted chain mail ($65-$200); “She makes every loop herself,” says Wilhelm. New York ceramist Jessica Hengen is also featured with raw yet lush work that Wilhelm describes as “unearthed.” ($14-$110).
The Weathered Barn is located at 41 Front Street in Greenport; 631-477-6811. The store is open Sunday to Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., theweatheredbarngreenport.com.
