Charm and fresh starts at Hayloft

MILLERTON — Charlotte Sheridan has relished the fresh start afforded to her through her shop The Hayloft, which she opened at 3 Main St. in Millerton this March. The business community first welcomed Sheridan as the owner of Merwin Farm and Home; her newest store serves as a revamped version of her earlier business venture.

Initially operating out of her Millerton home, Sheridan opened Merwin Farm and Home for business in 2018. She then moved her shop to 1 John St. in mid-November before settling at 20 Main St., just next door to Taro’s. 

From the arrangement of new, antique and locally-made items on display to the occasional Do It Yourself (DIY) workshops, Sheridan generated ample business for her shop before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the spring of 2020.

Like many businesses across the country during COVID-19, the pandemic caused traffic to slow down at Sheridan’s store. In moving forward, Sheridan felt she needed to revamp things. Looking at the open space across the street at 3 Main St., formerly occupied by The Dig (which closed in December, 2021), she said she always liked the building, its layout and that it was larger than her most recent space on Main Street.

“I wanted to do something fresh and new and kind of reenergize business after going through such a bad pandemic and trying to figure out how things were going to go afterwards,” Sheridan said.

Aiming to continue her business in a new space and with a new name, Sheridan opened The Hayloft on March 1. Since then, she said she’s been very busy and welcoming great business into the store, not to mention much better foot traffic.

As far as what one might find inside The Hayloft, Sheridan said that, in addition to her business’s farmhouse-style merchandise, customers will find more furniture, a children’s section and other enticing items.

“It’s a lot more space to fill, so that’s allowed me to bring in new items,” she said.

Walking around the space formerly occupied by groceries, artwork and other home goods, shoppers will find The Hayloft carries a delightful array of merchandise, whether they’re looking to furnish their homes with  one-of-a-kind home goods, add something new to their wardrobes or find a unique gift for a loved one. 

Sheridan said her store will still be offering DIY workshops about once a month; coming up at the end of July, she said there will be a flower arrangement workshop with Maitri Farm in Amenia.

The Hayloft’s hours of operation run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays through Mondays and is closed on Tuesdays.

While the store doesn’t have a website, customers can learn more by calling 518-567-6737 or by going to “The Hayloft” Facebook page, the “hayloftmillerton” Instagram page or the “Merwinfarmandhome” page on www.etsy.com.