Cold Spring shop stocks global imports
Gina Larson is one of those people who must always be doing something, anything. A few years ago, she “disliked being too comfortable” and completed two Ironman triathlons (swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running a marathon).
She and husband Brian Stoller studied Mandarin in college and, when his work took them to Hong Kong, they traveled whenever possible and became enamored with the design aesthetic from that side of the globe.
On June 15, Larson opened Brass Monkey Home, which specializes in exports from exotic locales, on the other side of the tracks in Cold Spring. It occupies the former home of Suzi Tortora’s dance studio, which moved near the post office.
During the couple’s travels, “we saw items we’d never be able to find back at home,” says Larson, who lives in northern Westchester. “It took us a long time to have the guts and courage to develop the sourcing and relationships to bring them here. It’s also the right space, which is a key component.”
The expansive room with a skyscape mural on the ceiling is filled with imports from around the world but not as many as Larson ordered. In the coming weeks, furniture will begin to fill the showroom; because of turmoil in the Red Sea, the shipper is taking the long haul around the Horn of Africa to avoid the Suez Canal.
A carved wood table from India joins placemats from Colombia, rattan from Bali and fine furniture from North Carolina. Bamboo is another recurring motif and material. In the small nook just inside the front door, Larson showcases a rotating crop of pantry pop-ups. This summer, it’s foodstuffs from Oaxaca, Mexico.
During her youth, Larson rocked out to punk’s third wave, played keyboard in a band and adopted the black-clad, painted-eye makeup look. (“Now, I’m a soccer mom,” she says.) The store’s name pays homage to the Beastie Boys’ first charting single, which reached 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987. For Brits, in particular, the term is a risqué way to refer to cold weather; it’s also the name for at least two mixed drinks.
Two years ago, Larson founded Brass Monkey Creative, a PR and event-planning firm that specializes in the California cannabis industry and orchestrates weddings, corporate functions and other formal occasions. For this admitted Type A personality, when there’s downtime at the store, she tends to her creative work on her laptop.
Larson views the space as a showcase for her events and seeks to partner with venues to rent napkin holders, glasses and other tableware.
“Some people like to create a custom look and not use what the place has in stock, which is usually pretty vanilla,” she says. “If you want green glasses or pink napkins, for instance, you’re going to have to source them.”
Despite the recent searing heat, learning the retail ropes, waiting for shipments and occupying a corner that lacks an established retail history, Larson is happy to keep busy.
“We’re in the learning curve and we’re going to make a lot of mistakes,” she says. “The shipping delays are forcing us to plan far ahead and it’s going to take a couple of years to iron out all the kinks.”
Brass Monkey Home, at 26 Main St. in Cold Spring, is open daily. See brassmonkeyhome.com or call 845-393-0090.
