Avantgarden is noted for its industrial lighting.
Come to Avantgarden in the hamlet of Scotts Corners in Pound Ridge and feast your eyes on a treasure trove of one-of-a kind vintage lighting fixtures, furniture, art and art objects.
Located in an airy, renovated l950s gas station, with vaulted ceilings and plenty of parking, the eight-year-old business has forged a reputation for providing its customers, both homeowners and interior designers, with a cornucopia of unique items in a bold, edgy style that mixes vintage and modern sophistication.
A tour of the store (87 Westchester Avenue, Route 124) reveals a painted wood carousel horse, a set of metal estate gates, a pierced-top steel dining table, a selection of hanging, re-purposed industrial lights and much more.
Fulfilling A Dream
“My husband Charlie and I were always interested in antiques, art and design,” says co-owner, Kristin Allen. “After the events of 9/11, we reassessed our lives and decided to make some changes. At the time, Charlie, a native of London, was in marketing in New York City and I was at home with two young children, following a career in children’s television.”
Kristin says the couple decided to start a business that focused on their joint passion, even though they had no retail experience. “We decided to forget about ‘Let’s do this when we are older’ and do it now,” she said. “Eight years ago we saw this space, leased it and opened up as more of a garden center.”
European Flair
Kristin says Avantgarden gradually evolved from a garden center to embrace its current stock of eclectic offerings. “We started finding some really cool industrial lights in Europe and brought them back to the store,” she said. “We are now well-known for our industrial lighting — a lot of it from France — and the high ceilings here are perfect for displaying it.”
Unusual industrial steel furniture is another specialty of Avantgarden. “Right now we have a good selection, including some brushed-metal storage cabinets and interesting tables,” she says.
Customers can “borrow” an item to be certain it fits in with their décor.
Charlie travels extensively in England and across Europe to keep Avantgarden filled with a wide and ever-changing selection. .“He is very charismatic,” Kristin says. “People love to chat with him about the items he has found abroad and shipped back here. He does all the buying and can tell a story about every single piece. His enthusiasm is contagious and translates to our customers.”
Kristin says many of the items offered at the shop come from European factories, municipal buildings and even the streets, in the case of the lighting fixtures. “Charlie goes over six times a year and always finds wonderful things,” she said.
Kristin says she believes one of the reasons Avantgarden is thriving is because of the decline in the number of specialty furniture stores in the Westchester/Fairfield area. “A lot of these smaller places have closed in recent years, and I think we help fill a void,”
A look around Avantgarden reveals a varied assortment of furniture, including sofas, chairs, benches and tables. In addition to the overhead lighting, there are plenty of floor and table lamps, along with lanterns for indoor or outdoor use.
There are large mirrors, wood and metal vintage cabinets, framed and unframed original art, photographs and lithographs, sculpture — both large and small — and vintage garden urns. Avantgarden also carries its own line of custom-made wood and metal furniture — including benches, tables and cabinets.
The Personal Touch
Kristin says she believes running a relatively small operation, which can respond quickly to homeowner and designer questions and orders, has been key to their success. “We will visit our clients’ homes and let them ‘borrow’ items to see how they work out. This is the kind of service that you can’t get from large furniture dealers.”
The Internet has been another powerful force. “At this point, about 50 percent of our business comes through designers, who find us on the Internet,” she says. “As a result, we have customers all over the country and are happy to ship items anywhere.”
Kristin says Avantgarden is also fortunate to have what she describes as a sophisticated base of clients right in the Westchester/Fairfield area. “These are people that are willing to take a chance on items that are unusual,” she said. “They want things that have meaning and a history, and that is exactly what we offer.”
Looking to the future, the Allens plan to expand their own line of furniture, while they continue to import from Europe.
“I’m glad we didn’t wait until ‘whenever’ to do this,” Kristin said. “We are still young and have the stamina needed to carry things off. Working together is fun, and we look forward to what the future holds.”
Kristin and Charlie Allen live in Fairfield with their two school-age children. Visit avantgardenltd.com or call 914-764-0010.
