By Jou-Yie Chou

Jou-Yie Chou, a founding partner of Post Company, an award-winning design firm based in New York City and Jackson, WY, behind notable hotels such as Inness, The Lake House on Canandaigua and Scribner’s, (and now with a showroom in Lakeville), shares some of his favorite things about the northwest corner.

I was fortunate enough to grow up in bucolic and idyllic New Canaan, Connecticut, but this northwest corner of the state just hits different. Like many newcomers to the area, we (my wife Bentley and two children, ages 7 and 3) fled here from Brooklyn during the summer of 2020, seeking respite and space during those early months of COVID. We came to Lakeville a bit naively, knowing very little about the town beyond its great elementary school and with just a few friends in Millerton and Ancramdale. We have quickly fallen in love with the community and the area’s natural beauty. As a kid, we used to ski in the Berkshires on occasion, but it’s from living here the past couple of years that I’ve really begun to explore the incredible nature here in earnest. 

We have been amazed by how vibrant the design community here is and decided to be a part of it by opening our own showroom in Lakeville to showcase our growing line of Post Company furniture and lighting, as well as our perspective on interior design. Many folks know us more for our hospitality work, but we’ve been quietly growing our residential practice for a few years now. With so many beautiful homes in the area, it made a lot of sense to ‘open up shop.’

Coming upstate for years on weekends, we always thought that when we found our place upstate, it would be in a setting of serene isolation with acreage and long vistas of rolling hills. We find ourselves living in the village in Lakeville, and have fallen in love with its livability, convenience, and walkability. We bike as a family to the Town Grove where kids splash and swim and eat ice cream, take Palmer, our 11-year-old dog on long walks on the rail trail and Dark Hollow, have weekly dinners with our neighbors on Pettee Street, while the kids run around on the field at Cannon Park, all without the need to get in our cars. There’s something very special about life here that reminds me of the salad days of my youth and the innocence of it all. We feel extremely fortunate to have stumbled across this secret pocket of Connecticut. Even though it’s a haul from New York, we feel a weight lift the moment we drive over the hill on Sharon Road at Long Pond Road, down into Lakeville. 

For Nature: We have two young kids, so we keep hikes short and sweet. Our favorite would have to be Lion’s Head from the top of Bunker Hill Road. 

For Dining: Our friend Noah Bernamoff just opened Little Cat Lodge this past fall at Catamount (in a space designed by another friend, Loren Daye). They’ve got excellent drinks, Black Seed Bagels during weekend brunch, and a great apres-ski scene, and are kid friendly.

For Wine: We’ve come from the city and brought our penchant for natural wines with us. We frequent Great Barrington to get a taste of some ‘city’ life and like to stop by our friend David Bruno’s new wine shop, Depart, at the top of Railroad Street. It features a beautifully edited selection of natural wines, as well as non-alcoholic spirits.

For Antiquing: Being an interior designer, I’m always poking around antique shops for fun. Our go-tos in the area are Montage in Millerton, as well as their new annex in Salisbury, and Black Squirrel Antiques. If you’re looking for some great deals on stoneware, they’ve got them.

For Locally Made Tableware: Jane Herold in West Cornwall is a must visit. She considers herself the ‘village potter,’ but her wares are world class. She’s been turning beautiful pieces out of our studio for decades. If you’re in Litchfield, Dumais Made is also not to be missed for their ceramic creations.