A few years ago, a lime-green triangular prism in the Connecticut woods was fixed up, painted black and made glowing. The New York City couple who amassed a following for breathing new life into the 1960s A-frame house are taking their commitment to preserving what is ageless to a brick and mortar vintage store — aptly, opening in the Collinsville section of Canton around Halloween.
Lorin Wheeler has roots in Seattle. Her husband, Rich, originally hails from D.C. Lorin was a visual director for luxury fashion houses; Rich has been collecting vintage clothing since the 90s. The pieces considered modern when he started are now emblems of nostalgia. The name of their store, which started as a pop-up in Williamsburg, is a nod to their blend of coasts: “East West Vintage.” A grand opening for the store will take place on October 25, the same day as the Collinsville Halloween Parade.
“It’s about finding that middle ground, where old and new and refined and lived in can really coexist in a natural way,” Lorin Wheeler said. Like their famed house, Onyx A-Frame, the new vintage store at 110 Main Street is black on the outside. Inside, intentionality fills the 1,000-square-foot space. With careful eyes, Rich curates the apparel, and Lorin picks furniture and decor. Be it the vase from the 50s or the denim jacket from the 70s, the couple’s philosophy around the store’s merchandise is encased in storytelling — and investment into the enduring pieces that stitch together one’s personal style.
“Nothing is random,” Lorin Wheeler said.
“We try to have something for everyone, but also find pieces that are timeless,” she continued “There’s something grounding about those objects in history that have lived other lives that you breathe new life into.”
Built off of a years-long dream, the couple wants their vintage store to be part of making Collinsville, the historic village in Canton they escaped to from NYC right before the pandemic, “a destination.” Lime washed walls, marble accents and vintage lighting are notes of the store’s design meant to create a slow-living atmosphere. Less clothing store and more favorite book or record store “where you want to enjoy the space and stay a while” is how Lorin Wheeler hopes customers will come to see it.
Collinsville is “very quintessential New England,” she said. But beyond falling in love with the aesthetic of Connecticut, Lorin Wheeler sees the state and its small towns as places “where people still value connection” — and “appreciate good design.” Connecticut’s melange of historic towns, old mills and antique shops, like the vintage clothes and furniture the couple sells, “have soul.”
“There’s a sophistication here that fits with what we do perfectly,” she said. “They’re not chasing trends.”
Tanya Babbar is a Hearst Fellow who covers business news in Connecticut for CT Insider. She focuses on developments in retail across the state and small business news. She previously worked as a general assignment reporter for the Houston Chronicle.
She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2024. While in college, she covered culture for The Pitt News and worked as an editorial intern for TribLive.com, Public Source and The Pittsburgh Media Partnership.
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