At Cow Harbor, Friendship Blossoms Into Business

Donna Drayzen and Carol Rovere began their business as friends who loved to shop together at garage sales and estate sales. A decade ago, they turned their part time hobby into a full time passion when they opened Cow Harbor, a home decor and antique shop in Stony Brook. Three Village Patch recently spoke with Drayzen about their business and their friendship.

Three Village Patch: How did you and your business partner, Carol Rovere, meet?

Donna Drayzen: We met the same way a lot of women meet – through our kids. We met through our youngest children, who are now 21.

TVP: And that is what inspired you to start working together?

DD: We did a decorating show at the St. James General Store. I decorated windows with different themes, like a music window, a baby or wedding window, like that. And Carol can sew anything. There we were introduced to other women, artists and creative women, and we really enjoyed it. We were asked to come back for the holiday show that year at Deepwells which we then did for seven years.

TVP: You both must have really enjoyed it to do it that long?

DD: We did. That helped us meet some more women and led to networking and meeting other artists, antique dealers, estate sale coordinators, interior designers and other creative women. Then we decided to open a place together where we could continue to work with these women.

TVP: Why did you pick Stony Brook as your location?

DD: We looked at other locations like Huntington, Northport, which is where I live, and Carol lives in Fort Salonga; also in Cold Spring Harbor. But this was available and we knew the area and loved the area so we took it. It's been 10 years.

TVP: What kind of things do you sell in the store?

DD: The store is an eclectic mix. We have antiques, including furniture, architectural pieces, glass door knobs and mirrors; new items by companies like Roost and Design Legacy lines; and jewelry, old, new and handmade. We also have hand painted furniture, lamps including some from the Luna Bella line, and chandeliers. We have a lot of stuff. The store looks like my house, very eclectic. I live in a 100 year old house that looks like this store, a mix of old and new which is what I love. People should live with things that they love.

TVP: There's a wonderful smell in here. Is that from the soaps?

DD: That's the Mistral French Soaps, which are great and make a nice gift, too. Other things that we sell that make nice gifts include the Maximal Art Jewelry, Time Works Clocks, Trapp Candles or Harney Teas.

TVP: Does being so close to town affect your business?

DD: Yes, we are in a very visible spot near the [Long Island] Museum and near the [Dorothy and Ward Melville] Carriage House, so it's nice. We are not just in a place that attracts tourists, we are a destination. People come from all over. We have customers that come from the Hamptons and all the way from Queens.

TVP: What kind of customers do you have? Who does the store appeal to?

DD: People that are creative and looking for unusual things and who are into decorating their home. We work with a lot of interior designers who buy from us and work with us also.

TVP: Anything new coming up with the fall approaching?

DD: We are very seasonal. We will have items to decorate a home for the fall and the holidays. We have a holiday open house every year, usually just before December.

Cow Harbor at Stony Brook is located at 1214 North Country Road in Stony Brook. For more information, please visit www.cowharborhome.com.