We Are Upstate NY with Dana Simpson of Hammertown

Your Home as a Sanctuary With Dana Simpson of Hammertown

By Jenny Wonderling | January 17, 2025

This month at INSIDE+OUT, we’re exploring the theme of Home as your Sanctuary with ways of celebrating and nurturing a sense of solace within our homes—spaces that inspire calm and refuge. Alternatively, this could mean finding peace in the woods of this generous region, where even in moments of challenge, nature’s wisdom can guide and soothe us. Through our curated lineup of interviews and resource roundups, we hope that by honoring our indoor and exterior spaces, we can better cultivate inner peace–regardless of life’s challenges.

dining space decor at Hammertown in Rhinebeck NY.

At Hammertown, creating a home that feels like a sanctuary is not just a design goal; it is a deeply personal philosophy.This approach has inspired spaces that resonate with warmth, individuality, and authenticity. Joan Osofsky opened the first shop’s doors in 1985. Since then, Hammertown has evolved from a beloved lifestyle store into a destination that offers curated collections, expert interior design services, custom furniture programs, and a trade program that provides exclusive benefits to interior designers. With three locations—Rhinebeck, Pine Plains, and Great Barrington, NY—and a vibrant e-commerce presence, Hammertown helps clients create homes and work spaces that are as functional as they are beautiful while inviting clients to discover their unique design voice.

Joan, a former school teacher, self-taught merchandiser, and design trailblazer, has a passion for fostering community. She is also the author of Love Where You Live and Entertaining in the Country, both published by Rizzoli. While Joan has since retired, her daughter Dana Simpson has carried the torch, also bringing a masterful eye for layering textures, styles, and materials in ways that tell a story. Like her mother, she skillfully blends old and new, near and far, creating spaces that feel balanced, unpretentious, and inviting.

“A home should be a sanctuary,” Dana says, “a place where you can recharge and feel truly yourself.”

The design philosophy at Hammertown revolves around the idea that home is an emotional experience, not just a physical space. Each design uniquely reflects its owner, blending functional spaces with thoughtful details like natural materials, vintage finds, and multifunctional layouts. Dana’s inspirations draw heavily from classic European design, particularly British style, known for its relaxed elegance and eclectic charm. By embracing these influences while focusing on modern needs and sustainable living, Hammertown creates sophisticated and lived-in interiors.

Dana explains, “Hammertown is a destination for customers from all over the northeast. We offer everything you need to feel at home, from furniture, rugs and lighting to tabletop, decor, antiques and gifts. The stores themselves, and the rooms they help to furnish, are entirely realized spaces full of heart and soul.” From their sanctuary to yours, they offer all the resources you could need.

Want to know more? Meet Dana Simpson in our exclusive interview below. And don’t forget to plunge into our other Home As Your Sanctuary resources and space makeovers, no matter your budget.

INSIDE+OUT: What essential elements are “musts” when creating the feeling that one’s home is a sanctuary?

Dana Simpson: At Hammertown, our core principle when helping people design their interior spaces is to help them create and emphasize the unique elements of their style to create that feeling of “home.” To us, our homes are always our sanctuaries, too. You should feel instantly relaxed and calm when you walk in the door to your home, regardless of its size or location. Ready to revive and recharge. Sometimes, it’s about the small touches. Like incorporating a client’s personal collection of pottery into a design. Other times, it’s about the more significant elements, such as creating a multifunction space that truly reflects the homeowner’s needs. For us, some key design elements will build this sense of home as a sanctuary. I have outlined them below.

Make it Yours: First and foremost, a home that feels like a sanctuary will reflect its inhabitants. Homes tell stories; the key is finding ways to bring vintage pieces and personal touches throughout the rooms. This can be anything, from a piece of artwork found at a flea market to an heirloom quilt or custom-made furniture. These moments help add to the warmth and a sense of identity to your home – making it your own personal sanctuary.

Bring the outside in: Natural textures and materials are essential to creating a warm and inviting home. Wood, stone and woven textiles all provide a connection to the world outside, bringing in layers to warm up the interiors. Emphasizing and engaging with the natural light and bringing in house plants provides a direct link to nature essential to any home/sanctuary. Ultimately, bringing in nature is key to creating the grounded and soothing feeling needed to enhance that feeling of relaxation and escape.

Nature’s Palette: Soft, neutral earth tones are always winners when creating a sanctuary in your home. Combine these with a few deeper, saturated accent tones inspired by the natural world to help create a balanced and serene environment.

Form & Function: A home/sanctuary needs to be a place that’s both beautiful and practical. By thoughtfully creating spaces that reflect the homeowner’s needs, they are multifunctional and filled with attractive storage and organizational moments, promoting peace of mind. Spaces are beautiful to look at and used each day as a part of the inhabitant’s daily needs.

What are some of the most creative elements that you have brought in/suggested to bring a vision to life?

We love to find unexpected ways to bring personality and creativity into spaces using vintage and repurposed materials and textiles. This use of vintage pieces in creative and surprising ways is the core of our design philosophy. We believe this is the key to building a space that feels welcoming, timeless and layered.

What’s Old is New Again: Curating these pieces from different eras and styles is the most creative element of our approach. Whether we are pairing a sleek, contemporary sofa with a beautifully worn antique rug, reupholstering a vintage chair with a modern textile, or repurposing an antique table into a bathroom vanity, each choice brings a sense of balance and depth to the room while also being unexpected and unique to the home. We also enjoy finding unexpected pairings and layering contrasting styles or eras in cohesive ways. For example, combining a modern, minimalist table with vintage chairs or placing a modern sculpture on a rustic table helps create eclectic and cohesive spaces. This approach allows for creativity without sacrificing functionality or comfort, two key elements to building a Home/Sanctuary. By using these elements thoughtfully, we can create a space that feels authentic to our clients’ tastes while also honoring the beauty of pieces that have stood the test of time. These moments tell the story of its inhabitants and give them a place that feels like their own personal refuge.

dog bed and living space decor at Hammertown in Rhinebeck NY.

What is your favorite room in your own home and why?

Heart of the Home: The heart of any home is where people gather together and where a person can sit alone and enjoy their home. In my experience, this room is often the living room, but depending on the homeowner, an open-plan kitchen with seating can also fill this role. If designed well, a Living Room or Open plan Kitchen/Living room can have it all: spaces to congregate + entertain and smaller nooks for a quiet afternoon reading or enjoying a cup of tea on your own. We love filling these rooms with a curated collection of furnishings and accessories and providing options for seating and gathering. Multifunctional spaces are the key to drawing people in and creating spaces that welcome you home.

Do you have any other tips for creating a magical home that feels authentically one’s own?

We always suggest that clients start by finding an inspirational space or piece of furniture that speaks to them and uncovering their personal design pillars. This can be a room in a magazine or book or one in your home; whatever the case, there will be clues there that will help you develop your own personal design style. Of course, we always suggest mixing it up and not being afraid to combine eras and styles within your home. It’s the layers of old and new, rustic and polished, that make a house feel lived-in and authentic. For us, it’s not about perfection but rather about uncovering your design “personality.” Your home should reflect your story and be filled with all the quirks and passions that make you/your family unique.

black and white kilim rug at Hammertown in Rhinebeck NY

Biggest design influence?

I love all the classic European style influences from Provincial French to Scandinavian Modern, but if I had to pick one, I would say the mix and magic of classic English/British style is my north star. The British aesthetic is terminally unique and unexpected, perfectly blending timeless elegance with a sense of warmth and personality. Its tenants can be applied to any interior, even the most pared-down contemporary one. It’s about creating spaces that feel layered and lived-in, with a thoughtful mix of old and new.

What draws me most to this style is its emphasis on individuality— curated collections, heirloom pieces, and contemporary accents seamlessly coexist. Comfort and functionality are just as important, with plush seating, ambient lighting, and personal touches that make a home feel welcoming and deeply personal.

I also have a few key designers who inspire me to help our clients tell their own stories through their spaces—creating homes that are layered, inviting, and entirely their own. Reath Design, Vicky Charles, Nina Farmer, and Heidi Caillier are pillars of inspiration for me. Their work beautifully balances traditional charm with modern sophistication, bringing boldness where needed while remaining timeless. They integrate architectural elements, crafting cozy, nostalgic interiors filled with character and history.