In the winter of 2004, Ken, having grown tired of corporate life, wrote a letter to Santa Claus asking for a new job.  Two weeks later he called Ron to tell him he had just stepped away from Polo permanently and wasn't sure what he was going to do next. (He was trusting Santa on this part.)   Ron had an idea.  "Let's show the world what we're creating in our apartment."

    Ken's creative engine sparked, a party was planned, and a brand was born.  The couple took the artfully designed, hand-crafted aesthetic that was evolving in their apartment, and named it Mercantile Home. Word went out to their Brooklyn community and the  first full line of Mercantile Home products were greeted with open arms.  Hanky panky picnic blankies, charmer bags, Anti-Valentines, and Mercantile Home note cards were introduced and soon carried in one of Brooklyn's neighborhood shops.

    As news spread that Ken was no longer with Ralph Lauren, collectors and interior design firms began seeking Ken's art consultation and his firm, Ken Jones Jr. Fine Art, was born.  Over the next four years, Ken and Ron stayed very busy.  KJJFA continued to attract an ever-growing list of distinguished global clients and a broad assortment of international projects.  Ron released (and toured in support of) three albums on the RoadWorm Music label, continued working as an arts educator and administrator at local schools, and eventually took over the Operational duties of the art business.  The enchanted vision of Mercantile Home was tucked away, as the couple's creative energy was channeled into their numerous other endeavors.

    In 2006, finding their life growing at a rate their tiny apartment couldn't sustain, Ken and Ron began looking for a new place to make home.   They eventually found and fell in love with Easton, Pennsylvania. Located 70 miles west of New York City and 70 miles north of Philadelphia. A community of one-of-a-kind personalities, a vibrant, urban energy, and an ever-changing historic landscape; Easton was the perfect place to put down roots. They bought a fixer-upper in the town's West Ward, and the skills that created Mercantile Home were once again sparked.

    On Independence Day weekend of 2008, Ken and Ron opened a small gallery at 526 Northampton Street in downtown Easton.   Ken Jones Jr. Fine Art was welcomed by the Easton community and greeted enthusiastically by the Lehigh Valley. As first time shop-owners, Ken and Ron looked for innovative ways to spread the word about their new space.  A familiar idea presented itself.  Mercantile Home as community ambassador.

    Easton is home to the oldest, continuous, open air Farmer's Market in the United States.  A popular destination for the Easton community on Saturdays throughout the summer, the Market was a wonderful place for Ken and Ron to meet the community, introduce Mercantile Home, and spread the word about the new business venture. Fresh flower arrangements and vegetables from Ken's urban garden (a big change from the tin cans in the Brooklyn window!) and a sundry of Mercantile Home note cards, bags, and enchanted oddities became a calling card for the gallery.

    Mercantile Home became an important part of the gallery's evolving identity. Foot traffic increased as more folks began arriving to see the "cozy little shop" on the West end of Northampton Street. Along with the playfully curated art, customers wanted to take home a piece of Mercantile Home.  "Give Bags" and  "Ceramic Gallery Pets" became popular gifts.   As demand grew and Mercantile Home became an integrated component of the space, it was apparent to Ken and Ron that the Easton Shop was establishing it's own identity. So in February 2009, the gallery of Ken Jones Jr. Fine Art transformed into Mercantile Home.  Specializing in art, objects, and curiosities, the lifestyle brand born in a tiny Brooklyn apartment now had it's own home.  Hosting an ever-changing line of fine, hand-crafted objects for living (still created in Ken and Ron's home studio) and regularly rotating group art exhibitions, Mercantile Home has finally spread it's wings.

Stop by and see how the adventure's growing, because this is just the beginning.