If Spring Came in a Store - The Speckled Hen

Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Welcome to Life As I See It, and this week I'm seeing Spring!!!   Not just in the mild temperatures and melting snow, or the sounds of birds singing out my window, but in the unique and beautiful shops I'm exploring.  I hope you saw Part I - featuring the Country Trunk in East Greenbush because today we head to Schenectady County where I'm excited to introduce you to a real treasure - The Speckled Hen.  Get ready to ooooh and ahhhh because this place is full of so many things to delight the senses.  John and I spent about an hour or more exploring and taking photos and still when I was editing my photos, I kept finding new things I hadn't seen while I was there.  Trust me...this one is not to be missed.

This March marks the beginning of the fourth year in operation for the Speckled Hen which is located at 38 Saratoga Road (Route 50) in Scotia, NY.  Maureen Culver worked for Personal Injury Law for 10 years before opening the shop.  Lucky for all of us she decided to put her talents to better use when she decided to open the Speckled Hen.  She credits her sister, Kathleen Rohlfs, for being instrumental in helping with the start of the business.  She has the background - she and her husband, Frank, own Chatham Flowers.  Tom, Maureen's husband, has given the most, says Maureen.  He has given his house up, literally!  His only request is to have a seat at the kitchen table, the den be free and clear, and a place to put his head down.  He now does the grocery shopping, the laundry and running around for the shop.  As you would expect, Maureen says, "I love him!"  They've been married for 28 years.  They have two sons - Steven, an Albany Fire Fighter, and Henry, a Rotterdam Paramedic.  Maureen is also a volunteer fire fighter.  Another key person in the success of the shop is Maureen's friend, Mona.  Mona has been there from the start - from scrubbing display items to the very long shopping trips, traveling many hours and lugging many boxes. 
While Maureen is very quick to share the credit for her success, it is pretty clear that Maureen is the primary talent behind this operation.  With an eye for display and a head for knowing what people will love, Maureen has filled her store with beauty.  Whether you decorate with country, or primitive, or french country - you will be hard pressed not to have your senses excited when you wander through The Speckled Hen.  And like all the best shops - wonderful merchandise fills every nook and cranny from floor to ceiling.  It's not hard to see why the Hen has customers who drive from places like Pennsylvania, Vermont, Lake Placid.   Between the cozy warmth from the wood stove, to the gentle and friendly greeting from Zoie, Maureen's granddog and official store greeter, to Maureen's warm and welcoming personality, it's no wonder The Speckled Hen has had customers checking in regularly waiting for Maureen to reopen after her annual winter respite.  Their wait ends tonight as tomorrow marks the Spring Spectacular when the shop reopens!  Once you get a glimpse of what awaits, you might be there too. 
 



 
 Don't forget, to get a better look, click on any photo to enlarge.  When you're done, just hit the 'back' arrow to the left of the address box above.





If you're sitting here thinking, "I need Maureen to come to my home and decorate" you're in luck.  She will come to your home to help decorate and if you bring in your own container, she'll help find the perfect pretty things to fill it!
 
 
If you can possible stand any more (or can't get enough), just meander through the door that leads to the "Garden Room".  Trust me, you won't want to leave!

 



 Most of the merchandise sold here is American made and handmade by local artisans.
 

 
 

Buying a gift?    Maureen specially packs every purchase in this pretty bag, complete with tissue and a nifty cloth tie.  She says everyone should feel special, whether that be your gift recipient, or you if you happen to be buying something for yourself.  Maureen wants her store to be a place where people come to feel peace.  She has certainly achieved that and then some.  Between the pleasant music playing softly in the background, or the warmth coming from the wood stove, or even just the friendly, gentle nod you'll get from Zoie.....Maureen has filled her store with everything anyone might need to turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary one.   Make your way over to the Speckled Hen and do it soon.  A lot of Maureen's merchandise is 'one of a kind', so you don't want to miss out. 
Maureen and Zoie
Know a friend who would love The Speckled Hen?   
Use the links at the end of the post to share!
Please use the links below to check out The Speckled Hen's Facebook Page.
If this is your first visit to Life As I See It, please stick around and check out some previous posts.  You can either click on the months at the right, or go to Directory for a categorized listing of posts.
Thanks for stopping by!

3 comments

  1. I have been going to The Speckled Hen since the beginning. Believe me you will not be disappointed. Gail has done a beautiful job showing how wonderful Maureen's shop is.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The décor of the shop is just so unique, you clearly put so much care into every element of your creations!

    ReplyDelete

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