The Mackenzie-Childs Farmhouse and Annual Barn Sale

Grab a group of girlfriends and head to New York’s Finger Lakes. Spend the day in Aurora and visit the Mackenzie-Childs Farmhouse – it’s wacky and whimsical and full of home dec inspiration. And, if you go in July, check out the legendary Mackenzie-Childs barn sale.

“Where’s Tim Burton?”

That was my first question for tour guide Patricia, as she opened the front door to the Mackenzie-Childs farmhouse and asked us to slip on paper booties.

From the exterior, the late 1800s farmhouse looks like any other that you’d find on a field in Smalltown, USA. But inside? The design inspiration comes from a zany riot of color, shape, pattern and texture. If asked to assign a name to the style, I’d go with “Tasteful Psychedelic.”

History of Mackenzie-Childs

Mackenzie-Childs is a home decor line featuring wild patterns and outrageous color schemes. The company was launched by husband and wife potters, Richard and Victoria Mackenzie-Childs, in the early 1980s in the tiny village of Aurora, located in New York’s Finger Lakes. It’s one of my favorite places to visit. The company filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by Pleasant Rowland, founder of the American Girl doll company, in 2001. There was some unpleasantness that followed, including the dismissal of the founders and a trademark lawsuit, but Mackenzie-Childs is currently thriving, operating the Aurora facility and several retail locations.

I was disappointed that visitors can’t tour the production facilities at the Aurora location for additional design inspiration, but there’s a gift shop where a 15-minute video gives an idea of the level of craftsmanship dedicated to creating each Mackenzie-Childs piece. Designers create initial sketches and then work with ceramicists to create the production process which may include fashioning multi-part moulds for slip pours. Each piece is hand-cleaned, painted and kiln-fired in different stages and decorated with festoons, ribbons, decals and thingamabobs. Every artisan stamps his or her mark on the piece before it is affixed with an astonishingly high price tag and offered for sale.

Touring the Mackenzie-Childs Farmhouse

Also on the Mackenzie-Childs grounds is an outdoor cafe for light refreshments, a country garden set aside a pond and the 15-room farmhouse, which is open for free tours. I tagged along with a group of Long Islanders celebrating a 50th birthday and seeking design inspiration. Our tour guide Patricia directed us to the porch and then she ducked around back, so she could open the front door to formally welcome us.

Patricia joined the Mackenzie-Childs family after a career as a financial analyst. She originally considered joining the production team but realized quickly she wasn’t suited to life as a painter, since she can’t paint nor sit still and keep quiet for hours on end, as is required in the assembly facility.

 

She was an excellent tour guide, primarily because she’s a passionate collector. And her family is too. Her husband loves the Mrs. Powers line of wrought iron outdoor products because he remembers the namesake; she operated a local eatery. Patricia sent her son off to college with a set of Mackenzie-Childs plates in the company’s popular black and white Courtly Check pattern. As he was unpacking, one of his roommates exclaimed, “Dude! You’re into NASCAR.” He politely corrected them. “It’s not NASCAR. It’s Mackenzie-Childs.”

We wandered gape-mouthed through the Mackenzie-Childs farmhouse as Patricia pointed out the current and discontinued patterns on display: Tourquay, Frank and Mustard, Butterfly, Lemon Curd, Maclachlan. Each room had so much design inspiration going on though, you couldn’t really focus on one thing. I started to get a headache from sensory overload so I hung back to look at each room like a Seurat pointillist painting, letting all of the individual items blend into a pleasant whole.

The colors are appealing and the individual Mackenzie-Childs pieces, like the adorable whistling teapot, are like grownup dollhouse furnishings. The entire group swooned in unison when Patricia opened an armoire to reveal a complete mini-kitchen with sink, refrigerator, and storage. “I want that!” I hollered and then Patricia mentioned that the price tag was over $20,000! Yikes! I also wanted the adorable vanity festooned with rabbits. I considered grabbing it and trying to escape, but knew that Patricia would tackle me before I got to the landing.

I’m currently entertaining the fantasy of buying a rambling old farmhouse to putter around in. Why? Primarily to indulge my HGTV-inspired passion for interior design. I’d like the farmhouse to have 7 or 8 bedrooms that I could decorate in different styles: ladies’ dressing room, mountain lodge, beach cottage. My visit to the Mackenzie-Childs farmhouse only added fuel to my real estate fire. Each of the bedrooms had cute names stenciled on the doors. I lingered on the front porch, contemplating the names I’d give my farmhouse bedrooms and fantasized about how good a frosty lemonade would taste while rocking and gazing at my imaginary chickens. I can’t afford to buy Mackenzie-Childs, but the dreams are free!

If You Go:

The Mackenzie-Childs Visitor Center is open year-round from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.. Regularly scheduled farmhouse tours are at 11 a.m., 1 and 2 p.m., with additional tours during the summer. Admission is free.

The Legendary Mackenzie-Childs Barn Sale

The gift shop offers the full line of Mackenzie-Childs products for sale. As noted, most of these items are VERY expensive. Once a year, the Aurora location hosts a multi-day barn sale, offering substantial discounts of 50-80% off. Die-hard collectors camp out in the field to ensure early entry and the best selection.

If camping out isn’t your thing, there are hotels in Aurora (Check out my review of the adorable Aurora Inn) and nearby Auburn and Ithaca.

All sales are final and personal checks are NOT accepted. For more details, check the Mackenzie-Childs Barn Sale page on the company website.