Oak Hill, NY

Pidgin

Tucked away in the quiet hamlet of Oak Hill, Pidgin is a poetic blend of antique shop, design studio, and sensory experience. Founded by poet and designer Kostas Anagnopoulos, the shop takes its name from a “pidgin”, a simplified form of communication born out of necessity between people without a shared language. Here, that idea takes shape in objects rather than words. Each piece, from weathered wooden tools to handwoven textiles, speaks its own dialect of beauty and utility. Together, they form a kind of conversation, one that bridges eras, cultures, and sensibilities with unspoken grace.

The store itself, set within a lovingly restored 1870s general store, feels more like the home of a design-minded friend than a traditional shop. Every corner carries Anagnopoulos’s curatorial eye and emotional connection to the objects he’s collected over a lifetime, from vintage brassware and handmade soaps to pashmina scarves and small-batch olive oil from his family’s orchard in Greece. The scent of copal resin incense fills the air, and the effect is immersive and intimate, part gallery, part sanctuary. Visitors are invited not just to browse, but to linger, converse, and perhaps share a cup of tea.

Anagnopoulos’s philosophy of collecting is as much about letting go as it is about acquisition. “The harder it is to part with something, the better it feels,” he says, embodying the paradox that defines Pidgin: reverence and detachment, preservation and reinvention. The store’s ever-evolving mix of antiques, artisan goods, and contemporary oddities creates a living ecosystem, an ongoing dialogue between past and future, maker and collector, object and observer. Whether in person or through its upcoming online shop, Pidgin continues to extend this quiet, soulful conversation to anyone willing to listen.

Pidgin is open Friday through Sunday 11-5, long weekends, and occasionally by appointment.

Photography by: Victor Schrager