Many people who meander through Kingston’s Stockade District wander into Exit Nineteen, uncertain about what exactly is inside. Once they enter, they find themselves drawn deeper and deeper into the store—often circling back multiple times, discovering something new each time.
John Krenek and Jamie Niblock are the masterminds behind this eye-catching and intriguing shop known as Exit Nineteen, an eclectic furniture and lifestyle store located in uptown Kingston. The store is presented and laid out with arrangements of furniture, lighting, candles, dinnerware and glasses, gifts, and more. All of it is carefully curated and displayed with a creative vision: John has a background in visual merchandising and has worked with various companies, such as Neiman Marcus, Gucci, and Ferragamo. “It’s a home furnishing emporium filled with a combination of things we love: mid-century furniture, art, accessories, things that we find in our travels,” says Jamie.
“We create dreams in our store…. We want everyone to walk into our store and be able to find something either for themselves or as a gift. There's something for everyone.” –John Krenek, co-owner
“We create dreams in our store. The way we merchandise the store. The way we display the store. It’s such a blend. We create a dream, and we want people to be taken away by it. We want everyone to walk into our store and be able to find something either for themselves or as a gift. There’s something for everyone,” says John. “John and I are veteran shoppers. We are constantly shopping for the store and for our interior design clients. We’re very much aware of the fact that there are very few things you’re surprised by—you see the same things over and over again.
It became important to us, from day one, that we represent things that we find are appealing to us and, secondly, that people haven’t necessarily seen before. We found that to be a very successful approach to our business model. Customers come into Exit Nineteen and are delighted to see a store that is different from all the others and filled with lots of things they have never seen before.”
John and Jamie first moved to the Hudson Valley from New York City in 2001 when they bought a house in Accord. Two years later they opened Spruce Design + Decor, their first shop in High Falls. Eventually, they moved the business to Rhinebeck.Four years later, they decided to open another store.
John and Jamie had been spending more time in Kingston and saw unlimited potential there. They ultimately moved nearby to Hurley, and in November 2015, they opened Exit Nineteen in Kingston. Within the first year, they realized that they were more successful than they had anticipated. They decided to close the Rhinebeck store and focus solely on Exit Nineteen, while still maintaining their interior design business as Spruce Design. The two feel like they are among the pioneers of the booming shift that has been unfolding in Kingston: six boutique hotels are being planned, and the presence of many other retail stores boosts the overall energy of the Stockade District.
“It’s fun, upbeat, happy, and welcoming. Our being there has really paved the way for other people to open up businesses and believe that, like we do, it’s the place to be and thrive as a new business,” says Jamie. What Jamie and John most enjoy about their work is the creativity. “That's the common thread that runs through everything we do. We're very passionate about our design, whether it be at Exit Nineteen or for one of our many design clients. We love creating spaces. Big and small. We're always meeting new people and challenging ourselves to keep our design approach fresh and exciting.”
John and Jamie balance their time between New York City and the Hudson Valley. They continue their interior design in the city as well as upstate. They love promoting local artists. For the spring season, Exit Nineteen will be featuring amazing artwork by Jimmy Sheehan. They are also very excited to announce the opening of their new venture called Crown. It’s a bar/lounge located at 10 Crown Street in Uptown Kingston. The anticipated opening is the end of May.
hours:
Monday, Wednesday,
Thursday: 11am–5pm Friday & Saturday: 11am–7pm
Sunday: 11am–4pm
exit nineteen
309 Wall Street, Kingston | 845-514-2485
info@exitnineteen.com | sprucedesigndecor.com
facebook.com/exitnineteen | @exitnineteen
See the video at VISITvortex.com.
