MY STORY

Hi! I’m Susan. I live in a cozy 1925 cottage with my husband in the seaside village of Rowayton, CT. We have two children, a grandson and two grand puppies. I am a designer, collector, stylist and maker who works and plays in my home studio: a happy oasis brimming with all of my favorite things. 

 

I was born in Cleveland, Ohio to entrepreneurial, immigrant parents. From an early age, I loved to create things. When I grew up, I became a graphic designer and I worked in New York City before founding my own Connecticut design firm. Twenty-four years later, I was ready to try something new. 

 

Collecting and selling antiques had long been my passion and I dreamed of having a brick and mortar shop of my own. I was inspired by the women of the 1920s whose search for independence during Prohibition led them to create tea rooms right in their living rooms. Many borrowed the abbreviated “T” from the temperance movement and called themselves T-houses. I liked the historical significance of the “T” and hoped to use it in my shop’s name someday. 

 

That day came in 2003 when T-Party Antiques and Tea Room opened its doors in an 1890 farmhouse in Darien, CT. For five memorable years, my partners and I provided our loyal patrons with afternoon tea and treats along with an eclectic array of wares. Today, the T-Party spirit lives on in my Etsy shop, where I sell antique, vintage and handmade goods for the home.

 

Back to my studio, where I am surrounded by cheery things that never fail to elevate my mood. Providing a welcome escape from the complications of modern life, I like to think about who enjoyed these things decades ago. And when my Etsy offerings sell and are sent off to their new homes, I am pleased that they will be appreciated once again. A wonderful connection of past and present!