Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Driving past the wood-clad houses of Livingston Manor in the Catskills seven years ago, David McGillivray noticed one building that stood out from the rest: a mid-century box built out of concrete, glass and aluminium, located a stone’s throw from the popular Catskill Art Space. “It was perfect,” says the British-born designer and co-founder of loungewear brand Offhours.
McGillivray had long fantasised about opening his own store for art, coffee-table books and meticulously engineered stationery. When the property (originally an insurance agent’s office, latterly a hair salon) was put on the market in 2023, he rented it with a vision to transform it into the shop of his dreams. Corners opened in September that year. “A little while ago, a customer referred to the space as monastic,” McGillivray says. “There’s a sense of design worship happening here.” The incense they keep burning certainly helps.
McGillivray worked on custom-built interiors with designer Michael Groth, grinding the floor back to its original concrete, with the exposed aggregate adding a terrazzo-like effect, and covering one wall with a white-oak-veneer display unit. The central table is supported by reclaimed materials: a steel I-beam at one end and a 600lb river rock at the other. An eclectic selection of artwork sits on the staggered shelves (from $250): Norwegian landscapes by Jeanette Lafontine and abstract canvases by local artist Victor-Raul Garcia, as well as posters and reproductions. Joan Miró prints (from $450) are made by historic Parisian print house Mourlot, which created such fine lithographs that Picasso once set up camp in the corner of its studio. “They were done 30 to 50 years ago, so they’re vintage in their own right,” says McGillivray of the Mirós. All artwork comes ready to hang, in solid maple frames.
The wall opposite displays notebooks and pens from around the world. “Some people come in and absolutely freak out,” says McGillivray. “I never realised how many pen nerds there are.” His favourites are traditional ballpoint and gel pens by Leuchtturm1917 (from $26), which come stocked in punchy colours like Bauhaus yellow, and a multifunctional pen by Japanese brand CDT ($38), which allows you to switch between black and red ink and a mechanical pencil. “It’s the most streamlined, slick metal pen you’ve ever seen,” he says.
The array of magazines and coffee-table books is equally popular, particularly with local artists who like to come and shop for reference material. Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act ($32) sells well, while Lauren Macdonald’s In Pursuit of Colour ($50) has a special appeal in the scenic Catskills: it explores the history of extracting dyes from plants, seeds and fungi. It is all supplemented by limited editions and rotating collections such as an Alessi kitchenware pop-up that featured Philippe Starck’s cosmic lemon squeezer and a host of coffee pots, and a set of curvilinear sculptures carved from local cherry and black walnut wood by the artist Pat Kim, which have almost sold out.
“Honestly the whole store is just stuff I like,” says McGillivray. Opening in such a small town, he was anxious that the neighbours like it too. To his relief, they seem to: “I remember some elderly art critics and artists who were just ecstatic to discover the store.” A handful of regulars each return for a particular item: their favourite pencil, or a copy of the latest Paris Review. He also welcomes day-trippers seeking refuge from the city and the odd Marvel actor (about whom he prefers to remain discreet).
The patio is furnished with tables and chairs where customers can sit and enjoy a pressed juice, which McGillivray also stocks. He has no desire to enter the hospitality game, but wants to encourage visitors to linger, enjoy their purchases and take in the forested landscapes and trout-filled creeks. “A lot of people up for the weekend are buying a pen and a notebook and they’re journaling,” he says. “They’re sitting out in nature, they’re slowing down.”
Corners, 49 Main Street, Livingston Manor, NY 12758; @cornersnewyork
Source link
