Following the Muse

Monkey Hill Antiques, Crafts and Gifts, located just south of New Hope, Pa., features painted furniture, folk art and pottery.

By: Jodi Thompson

Monkey Hill Antiques, Crafts and Gifts is nestled on Route 202 in New Hope.

   Around the turn of the 19th century, the owners of a quaint stone farmhouse just south of New Hope, Pa., left town in such a rush, they left behind their pet monkey.
   For two lonely months, the little simian fended for himself within the thick walls of the timber-frame and stone structure, carved into the side of a gently sloping hill along what is now Route 202. The neighbors didn’t know where the family had gone, let alone the poor creature’s fate.
   The monkey survived the ordeal, and the house became known as Monkey Hill. The story made it easy to choose a moniker for the new shop located in its carriage house. Monkey Hill Antiques, Crafts and Gifts in New Hope specializes in objects of history and design, with an emphasis on painted furniture, primitives, folk art and pottery.

The shop offers a wide selection, including painted furniture, folk art and pottery.

   Owners Bruce Imber and Jobert Abueva, both corporate runaways, first saw the property in an idyllic advertisement in a real estate supplement to The New York Times.
   "We were curious, came out here and fell in love with the property," Mr. Abueva says.
   The pair decided to escape the hectic city for the relative ease of semi-rural life. Mr. Abueva, who had visited New Hope just once, left his job as marketing director for Clairol to become a full-time writer. Mr. Imber, a Drexel University graduate slightly more familiar with the area, gave up his position as vice president of marketing for B.M.G. Music Group to pursue antiques.
   "Bruce is a long-time antiques collector," Mr. Abueva says. "That was really his passion. My passion is writing. We followed our muses out here."
   Mr. Abueva is editor of the Bucks County Writer, a quarterly publication of the Writer’s Room in Doylestown, and recently joined the staff at the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown.
   Although the cataloguing of items is Mr. Imber’s idea, Mr. Abueva contributes to what makes Monkey Hill so unique: a sharing of the history behind each piece.
   "Every object really has a story," Mr. Abueva says, "and every object really stands on its own aesthetically and historically. We really want to showcase the story. That’s the writer in me coming out.
   "We believe every object has a story. If these are historical artifacts, there has to be a story, so as much as we can learn about the piece, we want to share that with others because that’s part of the value, the history that gets passed along."

After one year in business, the shop is thriving and expanding to its owners’ former locale, in New York City.

   The result is a space that feels like a cross between a gallery, a museum and a gift shop. Wood barber poles and carved carousel horses sit next to a grandfather clock and beeswax candles. Pottery, frames and step stools rest alongside stuffed animals. There’s as much to read as see.
   "That’s what we think is connecting with people," Mr. Abueva says. "There is a sophistication in simplicity and that’s why I think there’s a resurgence in painted furniture, decorative arts, pottery and so forth. That’s the emphasis of what we carry."
   After one year in business, the shop is thriving and expanding to its owners’ former locale. In late April, Monkey Hill will open a satellite location in New York City, at ABC Carpet and Home on Broadway in Union Square.
   "Part of why they wanted Monkey Hill there was it is filling a gap," Mr. Abueva says. "There’re all about experiencing different cultures and continents. Ironically, the one culture and continent ABC doesn’t have very much of is Americana."
   Mr. Abueva sees Monkey Hill’s expansion as a boon for all of Bucks County, whetting New Yorkers’ appetites to visit the area, he says.
   "That’s the role we’re going to play," Mr. Abueva says of Monkey Hill’s foray into the New York design world, "showcase Bucks County, if you will."
Monkey Hill Antiques, Crafts and Gifts is located at 6465 Route 202, New Hope, Pa. Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. noon-5 p.m. For information, call (215) 862-0118. Monkey Hill opens at ABC Carpet and Home, 888 Broadway, New York City, in late April.