Quick Takes With: Alexander Widener

A year ago, Alexander Widener quit his job to move to Maine and follow an unlikely dream: to open an antiques shop.

And it worked: Alexander’s shop and guest cottage, Widener Company, is the talk of New England and beyond, thanks in part to Alexander’s wild Instagram following. (Perhaps you caught his “Super Bowl” video last weekend—on, yes, bowls.)

Before shopkeeper life in the small village of Wiscasset, Alexander worked in the textile world for the likes of Matouk, Sister Parish textiles, and Samuel & Sons—but he says his penchant for collecting and love of interiors goes back even further, to his childhood in Pennsylvania, Today he writes in from Maine, where he lives with his husband, Bradly, and dog, Rudy, to share the sheets he harbors a “deep obsession” for, the movie apartment he wants to move into, and more:

Photography by Ari Kellerman, courtesy of Alexander Widener.

What’s on your bedside table?

A vintage Laura Ashley lamp with a silk pleated lampshade, a glass of water I forgot to drink, my red light therapy mask, kindle, and a silver-framed picture of my dog.

What’s a film or TV show whose aesthetic has stuck with you?

If I could live inside Kathleen Kelly’s Upper West Side apartment from You’ve Got Mail, I would do it in an instant. In one scene, you can see some octagonal John Derian plates, and I don’t know if I should be embarrassed to say this, but I tracked down similar ones from the ’90s on eBay and have them here at home.

My favorite sheets are…

I have a deep obsession with the French brand D. Porthault. Obviously, they are out of budget, but I have been lucky to find some vintage pieces, and I treasure them like nothing else. They are so soft and come in so many cheerful prints. The old ones were entirely stitched by hand and last forever.

My favorite paint color for the bedroom is…

The decorator Sister Parish always lined her lampshades in pink silk because she thought the light was more flattering that way. Ever since I heard that, I’ve wanted to have a pink bedroom (maybe someday I will… ). I think Pink Ground by Farrow & Ball would be the perfect shade.

My unpopular design opinion is…

…that second-hand furniture is always better. The construction, materials, and quality are ten times more than what you can get today for a fraction of the price.

Your design pet peeve?

While I really think people should decorate their spaces in a way that makes them feel happy, for me, I will never get behind synthetic materials. My worst nightmare is a polyester curtain, a laminate wood floor, or a faux-brass faucet. I am drawn to materials that show the hand of the person who made them and signs of age over time. I’d much rather have an old, dirty wool rug with holes in it than a plastic rug that can go in the washing machine.

My go-to kitchen utensil is…

My friend and neighbor, Eric of Village Handcraft, makes the most beautiful hand-carved spoons. I never cook dinner without one!

Favorite design shop to visit (online or in person)?

I quit my job last year and moved to Maine to open my own interiors shop, so I feel like I have to say Widener Company. We have a mix of antiques and new handmade objects for the home. It’s been my biggest joy bringing it to life. It’s the kind of store I always dreamed of shopping at.

Thanks so much, Alexander! You can follow his work @alexander_widener and widenercompany.com—or stop in if you’re passing through Wiscasset.