Burkelman: A High End Home Design Shop In Cold Spring
The renaissance taking place in the Hudson Valley at large can most often be attributed to the small businesses in the towns and hamlets that dot the region. Such is the case in Cold Spring, a bustling village located in the Hudson Highlands, long characterized by its assemblage of quaint shops and restaurants. Its proximity to the city (just over an hour’s train ride from Grand Central Terminal) and stunningly scenic hiking trails, such as the popular Breakneck Ridge, make the village a sought-after and convenient destination for day trippers, weekenders, locals, and former urbanites looking to decamp somewhere with a little more leg room. Catering to them all is BURKELMAN, a highly curated home goods shop just up the street from the Metro-North train station.
BURKELMAN, a merger of Kevin Burke and David Kimelman both in name and creative energies, was borne of the couple’s passion for creating the environments in which life happens and memories are made. With David’s background in photography and graphic design, and Kevin’s experience in corporate creative for fashion brands, together they possess a unique skillset that has suited them well as owners of a lifestyle boutique, particularly in the areas of merchandising and styling. “We both love objects and art and craftsmanship and texture, so it made sense that this would be the type of retail store we would open,” explains David. “We refer to it as our life’s work because it really is the sum of our experiences and talents coming together into this one enterprise.”
When BURKELMAN originally launched as an online-only business in 2014, it was run entirely out of the couple’s previous home in Croton-on-Hudson, where David recalls “tractor trailers pulling up and dropping palettes of Italian home accessories on our sidewalk.” A physical outlet was always the dream, though, so when the duo came across an available Main Street storefront in Cold Spring — one replete with original details from its former life as a soda shop — they seized the opportunity. Their continual hunt for beautiful daily luxuries has resulted in an airy, light-filled brick-and-mortar chockablock with items rigorously vetted by Kevin and David, from local makers like Ash & Anchor, Andrew Molleur, and Hudson Beach Glass, to resplendent goods that hail from much farther corners of the globe. But no matter the origin — be it fair trade bath sheets and hand towels sourced from Ethiopia, jewelry handmade in Tel Aviv, or rugs procured in India — there is one thing that every item in the store has in common: they all serve to “enliven your everyday,” a phrase the two often use as a guide when carefully selecting their wares. “When we’re buying or looking at items for the store, it’s all about ‘where is that person going to sit and read a book?’ and ‘what is the pillow going to look like?’ and ‘what coffee mug is she going to have next to her?’” says Kevin. “It’s about the ritual of your everyday and making sure it is tactile, beautiful, and functional.”
Photos by Ethan Harrison, Words by Melissa Andersen