For Shane and Lauren Fallon, it was love at first sight. The couple stumbled upon the listing for the Red Hook Stationery Co. while scrolling on the internet. Marie Uridia had put up the store and its contents for sale last January.
Two weeks ago, Marie Uridia handed over the keys of Red Hook Stationery Co. to Shane and Lauren Fallon. (Photo by Athan Yanos)
The Fallons couldn’t stop thinking about how the business seemed to offer so much of what they wanted. It allowed them to be anchored in a close-knit community and aligned closely with the graphic design business they had run from their Poughkeepsie home for years.
“We both kind of were like, wow, that place is precious. I can’t believe it’s for sale,” Shane said.
The couple visited the store multiple times. After long conversations with Uridia about Red Hook, the operation of the store, and the details of the sale, the two decided to take the plunge and purchase it. Two weeks ago, on July 7, they took possession of Red Hook Stationery Co, with the goal of preserving the foundation of the store that regular customers had come to love over its three years of operation.
The couple stumbled upon the listing for the store while scrolling on the internet and couldn’t stop thinking about it. (Photo courtesy of Red Hook Stationery Co.)
Uridia said she received interest in the store from around 50 potential buyers in the Hudson Valley and across the country. She was drawn to Shane and Lauren’s offer, she said, because of their “very kind and genuine” vibe and because their graphic design business “seemed like a great fit” with the store.
Uridia wanted the new owners to continue operating the store as Red Hook Stationery Co., and said she is glad the Fallons share that goal.
“The community just spent the last three years telling me that they seem to like having this kind of shop around. I didn’t want to take that away,” Uridia said.
Uridia said she received interest in the store from about 50 people but was drawn to Shane and Lauren’s “very kind and genuine” vibe. (Photo courtesy of Marie Uridia)
The Fallons met in New Paltz over a decade ago. Both worked at Main Course Restaurant, Lauren in the graphic design department for the restaurant’s catering company, and Shane as the front–of–house manager, while he finished his degree in creative writing at SUNY New Paltz.
Shane eventually decided to venture into the graphic design business himself. Together they created Fallon Creative Studio LLC in 2023, a graphic and web design company that has assisted Hudson Valley businesses such as Kingston Common Futures, Hudson Valley Farm Hub, and Del’s Ice Cream in Rhinebeck.
Red Hook Stationery allowed the Fallons to be anchored in a close-knit community and aligned closely with the graphic design business they had run from their Poughkeepsie home for years.(Photo by Athan Yanos)
Working exclusively from home, however, was isolating. Shane said he missed the experience of interacting with customers and community members. Lauren lacked a place where people could come and physically look at her graphic design work.
“The idea of being in this space that was so thoughtfully crafted and being able to interact with a community again after working from home for almost six years was really compelling.” Shane said.
Lauren agreed. “I haven’t had space outside of work from home for like 15 years, so it’s nice to get out of the house and into the world,” she said. “We just love this store so much.”
The couple plan to preserve much of what Uridia has already built in the store but also are excited to offer new products such as speciality pens and notebooks. (Photo by Athan Yanos)
The Fallons also plan to keep operating their graphic design company full-time. They have converted the building’s second floor, previously used for stock, into an office for the company. Red Hook Stationery Co. is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, which gives the couple time before the store opens to focus exclusively on the graphic and web design company.
The two admitted they haven’t figured out entirely how the two companies will interact, but they imagine some of the graphic design elements of their existing company will be incorporated into the store’s offerings. For example, they said they are planning to sell custom–designed stationery products such as flyers for local businesses or personalized wedding invitations.
The two also plan to expand the amount of Red Hook-specific apparel in the store. (Photo by Athan Yanos)
For the stationery store, Shane said the two are planning to create a website so customers can order specific products online. They are also hoping to expand the amount of Red Hook-related gear that the store sells. He said they have been polling customers since they opened about which products they like and would want to see more of, and overwhelmingly people have asked for more Red Hook-themed gear such as hats and shirts.
“We are going to be looking into maybe some new designs for Red Hook gear, utilizing the ones that Marie already has, and expanding the local centralized Red Hook–specific apparel,” Shane said.
They also plan to offer a few additional products, like specialized pens and notebooks, but Shane emphasized none of the changes to the store will be “drastic.”
The Fallons also plan to keep operating their graphic design company, and have converted the building’s second floor into an office. (Photo courtesy of Fallon Creative Studio)
Shane said he was initially unsure how long-time customers and other locals would receive the new owners. After a little less than two weeks as owners, he said he is thrilled by how welcoming and patient customers have been as the couple adjusts to the day-to-day.
“There were a couple of times where we sort of had to apologize to people if they had specific questions about things that we weren’t prepared to answer yet, but everybody was very understanding,” Shane said.
The two also said that Uridia, who started the business three years ago, has been very helpful in the transition process, beginning with their very first communication in February. For example, Uridia prepared detailed spreadsheets and documents with information on the store and its inventory.
The Fallons have fallen in love with the surrounding community and hope to build a strong future for both Red Hook Stationery and Fallon Creative Studio LLC in Red Hook. (Photo by Athan Yanos)
“She has been wonderful with the handover and the transition and making sure that we had everything that we needed in order to step into it and carry on the thing that she’d built,” Shane said.
While the Fallons have no immediate plans to relocate from their home in Poughkeepsie to Red Hook, Shane said as he drives through the Town and Village it’s impossible not to think about it. They have fallen in love with the community and hope to build a strong future for both Red Hook Stationery and Fallon Creative Studio LLC in Red Hook, he said. It’s what drove them to buy the business in the first place.
“It was the sense of possibility and our desire to go out and be part of a community again,” he said.