The new Union Hall General Store in North Salem offers everything from specialty foods to original art and luxury housewares. Among the goods for the home: custom-embroidered linens ($18 to $160+) from Edith Mézard (she’s done work for Calvin Klein and Princess Grace of Monaco); soaps ($5 to $14); candles ($5 to $36); throws (we covet the amazingly soft baby llama wool throw, $400); and Japanese knives made by a seventh-generation Samurai sword maker and Messermeister knives from Germany ($15 to $400).
Built in 1848 as a general store, the 1,450-square-foot space has been a meeting hall, stagecoach stop, framing shop, and an equestrian store. Now, it’s come full circle, thanks to proprietor Jane Beltz, a yoga teacher and North Salem resident. Much of the original millwork and architectural details were well preserved. Designers Nicholas Xatzis and Emma Sainz, of Pure Form Design Lab in West Cornwall, Connecticut, created a distinctly modern interior that honors the building’s historical integrity. Wherever they could, they used original materials and techniques, reclaimed local woods and stone, hand-blown glass, and antique mirrors. â– Union Hall General Store 2 Keeler Ln, North Salem (914) 485-1550; unionhallgeneralstore.com
