Main Street Business

To appreciate bohemian West Cornwall, cross the covered bridge over the Housatonic River and follow the historic main street, past the electric bicycle shop, up to the porch and front door of The Wish House. The entry is filled with a colorful, crowded assortment of hanging lanterns, scarves, housewares, rugs, cards, and books. Behind the counter is the petite dynamo, Bianka Langner Griggs, who manages every aspect of the store’s rooms of colorful merchandise. Most days you can find Bianka helping customers, answering the phone, and rearranging inventory. 

Main Street Magazine picked a quiet, rainy weekday afternoon to talk to Bianka about her vision for the store and the town of Cornwall. For nearly three decades, she has curated her retail sanctuary inside the terracotta-colored house at 413 Sharon-Goshen Turnpike. The store is part global bazaar, part community living room, and part fine-art incubator, filled with an eclectic mix of international housewares, tactile books, and artisan-made apparel. Yet her real products have always been connection and community.

Berlin to West Cornwall. How did that happen?

After graduating, I came to New York City as an au pair for a wonderful family with a country house in Cornwall. I was able to attend classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where the professors brought real life experiences to the class room. I returned to Germany and saved enough money to return full time as a student at FIT. Everything began to fall into place. After working several years for a well-known, respected theatrical costume designer in New York, I returned to Germany as an employee of the famous Schiller Theater working as a costume design assistant. When it closed in 1993 after the reunification of Germany, I came back to New York living on German unemployment and met my future husband Richard while jogging in Cornwall.

 

How did Wish House get started?

My husband’s cousin’s wife created Wish House next to the bicycle shop in 1994, and I took it over from her in 1997. The concept changed overnight from English tea party, teddy bears, pastels, and painted furniture to bolder, contemporary artisan designs and moved up the street into this building. Between the rent, paying off the purchase, and changing the stock, the first year was really tough. I never give up on a challenge.

Do you have a vision for the store?

I want everyone to find something beautiful and unexpected in the store. I don’t just cater to weekenders – the store is open every day except Monday. I want everyone to aspire to a beautiful, exciting, creative life. Good design does not have to be expensive – think of IKEA, which I grew up with. I have never been caught up in trends – we have never had Beanie Babies. And I’ll leave the high-end and vintage to other people. Here everything is colorful, and nothing is a necessity.

How do you find products?

You always have to look for new suppliers as divorce, death, and misfortune eliminate ones you may have worked with for years. In the old days everyone went to the Gift Show at the Javits Center in New York City. It was expensive for vendors, with union rules that stifled creativity. Then a new, curated show, Shoppe Object, arrived with merchandise from all over the world. They have two shows a year in the Starrett-Lehigh building downtown. 

Many vendors now use the wholesale Faire internet platform. They have products from everywhere, and minimum orders can be small. It’s easy to shop on your laptop.

What are some of your favorite lines?

I always try to source products locally. Roland Pine from the Hudson Valley makes pine-scented candles and fragrances. Elizabeth Grubaugh, also from the Hudson Valley, designs distinctive paper products. Clothing is an important part of our business, maybe 25%. I love the classic style of Porto from Italy and Compania Fantastica from Spain. I’ve brought scarves back from Germany in my suitcase that are unlike anything you can find here. What I don’t have is handmade pottery because we have great local potters here and antiques because I lack the expertise required.

Who are your customers?

They are local and from far away. Edgy hipsters and the women from the firemen’s auxiliary. Younger weekend families from the city. People come in to look, and sometimes they buy. Our children’s section of clothing, games, and books attracts a lot of grandparents.

Does Wish House have an 

ecommerce site?

We tried selling on the Internet, but it lacks the context and feel of the store. We abandoned that effort. It just didn’t work for us. But our website is important to update customers on what is happening here and in the Town of Cornwall.

Is Wish House profitable?

Business ebbs and flows. I don’t believe it’s necessary to always grow. The economy is always shifting, and we adjust. My goal is not to make as much money as possible but to continue to be a part of this community.

How has West Cornwall changed in the thirty years you’ve been here?

West Cornwall had a grocery store until 2007 and multiple restaurants and even night life. It used to be more lively. 

You have the reputation as a community catalyst. What is your contribution?

I started the Farmer’s Market at the side of the store, which became hugely popular. It even inspired a second Farm Market. Our Saturday market is a gathering point with amazing music and local food. Community is really important to me, and I’m very involved in supporting it. I’m on the Town of Cornwall Economic Development Commission, which works on attracting small business to the town. Young people are coming here pursuing dreams like The Local, a market collective for farmers and artists, and Tommy Eucalitto’s Coltsfoot Farm, which makes award-winning cheese. I contribute a percentage of sales to The Little Guild animal shelter and offer discounts to our amazing fire department. Souterrain downstairs is a kind of cultural center.

What is Souterrain?

Souterrain is the gallery on the ground floor of Wish House. It features artwork by local artists. It has been getting a fresh coat of paint and reopenened on September 26 with photos by Kathy Bozzuti-Jones. The gallery always participates in the Cornwall Open Studio tour in September with a pop-out show of local artists. Souterrain has its own website at souterraingallery.net with links to the artists that have exhibited here. •

To learn more about Bianka Langner Griggs and The Wish House visit them at 413 Sharon-Goshen Turnpike in West Cornwall, CT. You can also visit them online at wishouse.com or call (860) 672-2969. You can also find them on Facebook.