On Location: A Model and a Donkey Walk into a Barn

Driving through the crossroads hamlet of Richmond, Pennsylvania, I noticed a charming-looking storefront. Located in a former general store building, the window displays of Hope’s Favorite Things featured antiques and spinning wheels. Inside the shop, I found a treasure trove of vintage furniture and display fixtures and two huge rooms of fiber-y goodness. We became instant friends and have worked together on various projects ever since. Her beautiful farm has been the location for two Farm & Fiber Knits photo shoots.

Hand-dyed yarns and fibers, antique quilts, and other vintage finds on the porch of Hope’s Favorite Things, in a building that once housed the general store run by Hope’s great-aunt and uncle. Photo by Hope Horn

Both Hope and her husband have deep roots in Northampton County, Pennsylvania—in fact, the general store that became her shop was at one time run by her great-aunt and uncle. Although Hope made the difficult decision to close the storefront during Covid, she now runs The Wool School in a one-room schoolhouse located on the same property. I recently took my spinning wheel there, and while we spun, we chatted about some of “Hope’s favorite things.”

Hope Horn’s geese came to greet me, crossing the wide green field from the farm’s barns. The geese are just a few of the animals who have welcomed us to photo shoots at the farm. Photo by Hope Horn

Karin Strom: You grew up in the antiques business. Did you always want to have your own shop?

Hope Horn: My parents were antique dealers for 40 years. I learned so much from being with them and working in their shop, so I understood the basics of shopkeeping. When the general store building came up for sale, my husband and I decided to buy it, and in October 2015 we opened Hope’s Favorite Things.

Get a closer look! Click on any image below to view it in full-screen mode. Photos by Hope Horn

KS: What was your inspiration for the name, merchandise, and vibe of Hope’s Favorite Things?

HH: I have a lot of interests, and I didn’t want to limit myself with the name of business. I sold antiques and gift items as well as fiber equipment and handspun yarns and accessories—my favorite things! Growing up in my parents’ business, I was always surrounded by wonderful eclectic vintage items, and I’ve always been drawn to primitive pieces.