Round a corner on Union Street in Deep River and a pop of black from amongst the trees catches the eye. A sign proclaims: Deep River Home. Above the front door, another states: General Store.
Step inside to meet owner Jennie Maneri. Visitors will want to strike up a conversation with her. What will they learn? Maneri’s family moved to Deep River from Brooklyn, New York, during the pandemic in the winter of 2021. “We just happened upon this region of Connecticut, which we didn't even know existed,” she says. “I’d always wanted to open a store, so was looking for an antique home with ‘out’ buildings.” A barn on Union Street fit the bill. “It was like getting a hug from the barn,” she says of falling in love with it at first sight.
After a simple conversion, the barn was up and running as a store by May 2023. Since then, folks have been visiting from throughout New England. “It’s become a destination,” Maneri says. “Deep River Home isn’t in the center of town, so you have to find the store. People interested in the things I sell gravitate towards it.”
Inside the open and airy barn, there’s much to discover. “I tell people to do their laps because they don't catch everything the first time around,” Maneri says of her “modern general store.” “There are so many fun, interesting, weird and unexpected products, and every single one serves a purpose.”
Pillows and chairs? Whale paperweights and Rollbahn notebooks? Vases and Baggu totes? Yes, the store carries these and so much more. “For the last 25 years of my career, I've been collecting almost a little Rolodex of my favorite things for when I opened my own store.”
An immediate draw is a corner devoted to house brushes used primarily for cleaning. “It’s my favorite part of the store,” Maneri says. “I so love a brush.” Procuring the items Deep River Home sells is a global effort. “Our brands fit into a modern lifestyle, though some of them, like a brush manufacturer from Germany, have been around for 100 years.” Keep an eye out for Japanese office supplies and gardening tools, as well as European items.
Maneri has also forged relationships and developed products with Connecticut makers. “I work with James Gardner, a local woodworker, to make my peg rails, and he turns the most magnificent bowls from trees right here in Deep River, too,” she gives as an example. “Then, I have a ceramicist from Ahmee Ceramics in Stonington.”
Another draw is the store’s sense of peace and calm. “I want visitors to use all their senses when they come in and not just be visually overwhelmed or hit in the face with a stinky candle,” Maneri says. With this in mind, every sensory element of the barn—from music to scents—has been approached with intention. Maneri, is a former creative director for furniture design manufacturer Herman Miller. “I ran photo shoots, directed commercials and videos, as well as the design of interiors, retail spaces and direction for merchandising. It was more of creating a look and feel for the brand.” Drawing on this experience, Manei has created an abstract mudroom, gardening shed, office and kitchen throughout the space. The result, “People tell me this is their zen place.”
Deep River Home and Maneri have been embraced by the community and customers. “I love talking to people, so the barn has become a little hangout, which is cool,” she says. “Friendships have been made here. To me, that’s very, very sweet.”