Charlotte Taylor

The empty-nest syndrome led to a shop bursting with creative home accessories for Carol-Ann Fuss, who opened Charlotte Taylor at 32 Main Street in Millerton last May.

Fuss, who was a buyer for Bloomingdale’s and Sak’s before stepping back to raise her family, said she long dreamed of opening her own shop. “When my youngest child left home, I had a bit of an empty nest,” she said, and realized it was time to act on her dream.

She already had a list of vendors whose work she admired and has since augmented it by word-of-mouth referrals and visits to the New York Gift Show.

“I stock lots of items made by artisans from England to the West Coast,” she said. “I know where our products are made - in fact, a lot of them come from Brooklyn, where they are doing amazing things. I like to find people who are following their passion.”

Listing some of her suppliers, she said, “I have a local artist, Lily Woodward, who does paintings on cigar boxes; some people out of Charleston (N.C.) who make all-natural candles; a woman in Maine who makes purses out of wool or cotton; a Texas woman who hand-makes wooden butter spreaders and spoons, and even an artist from England who makes tea towels and mugs to match, painted with her animals. Then we have these darling little pottery teacups for children painted with things like a mouse on a bike. I feel like we have a mix of everything.”

Charlotte Taylor is open Sunday, 11AM-5PM and the rest of the week from 10:30AM-6PM. It is closed Tuesdays; telephone 518-592-1800.