Our Story – The Team
Natalie and Greg Randall opened RT Facts in the old Town Hall of Kent, CT in 1992. Since then we’ve been a hidden secret for designers and decorators alike, crowned the boldest antique shop in Litchfield County. There’s a dynamic group of designer and artists creating our pieces, and keeping our playful and eccentric demeanor alive…
What makes the offerings of our business unique?
“That word can be so over-used but we have clients all over the country that tell us there is no other business like this anywhere. “I really mean it,” they say, “Not in this country, not in Europe, nowhere, and we shop everywhere!”. I don’t think most people in Kent, CT realize what we are doing here. Half of our pieces are antique but not your grandmother’s antiques. Our “Finds” have unusual form, texture, surface and preferably what we call “the quirk-factor” or some whimsey. We mix these aged pieces with very sleek, contemporary artisanal furniture “Designs” we design and make right here in Litchfield County. We have a talented team of twenty individuals here and we send our tables, mirrors and lighting with the RT FACTS, KENT, CT label all over the country.”
Greg, Owner, Buyer, Designer
You walk in the door at 10am and and hear whistling and shuffling. It’s Greg. Ripped jeans, stained shirt. He’s arranging the shop with the new finds of the day. Greg never stops. Day after day the truck door rolls up and there are delicious new finds spilling out. When he’s finished he’ll retreat to the workshop to work on new tables being made for retail stores and private residences. Seven days a week he is on the go. Many nights After work he finds himself making a house call . A glass of wine and consult with an individual known for his aesthetic or a powwow and installation in the garden of a celebrated designer.
What’s on his bedside table? Sketchbooks full of design ideas, stacks of classical art and architecture books, dog-eared shelter magazines and 5 pairs of cobbled-together reading glasses.
Greg spent his childhood living and working in fine English Antique shops in Washington D.C. and Madison Avenue. Proportion and scale are part of his fiber. His formal education was in architecture, sculpture and art history at Syracuse University. He and Natalie started their business in their 20’s in Manhattan at the 26th St flea market. They had a following but the elements were cruel and the rents were high. They made a brazen move and purchased the old town hall in Kent, CT to make a shop. If they built it, would they come? They did. And they still do.
The merchandise is more refined and the display more sophisticated than it was on 26th St but Greg is still wearing the same clothes. And whistling while he works.
Natalie, Owner, Buyer, Designer
Meet Natalie. She is sitting by the phone, writing viciously in her large notebook. She is answering consecutive calls from separate clients who want her to be a part of their private think tanks. And she’s good at it.
Before RT Facts, she studied Fashion Design at Syracuse University and Saint Martins School of Art in London, which paved the way to becoming a designer and product manager for 6 years in New York City. Now, just outside of the city in rural Connecticut, she has extended this expertise. Being the ultimate brainstormer and constant creator she is, Natalie stands in her newly renovated studio and envisions the light fixture she is yet to make. Her arms dance through the air, describing how it will skate across the table in a way that will allow for practicality as well as beauty.
A lifetime colorist, she is passionate about design and quality. You may see Natalie pulling great bronze details from a shelf to use as finials or architectural fragments to use as inspiration for a new sconce. Her index finger goes into the air and she races to the basement with Willa, her shadow-dog, trotting behind her and shortly emerges with an amazingly weathered marble baluster. There are twenty-two and these will be the perfect supports for the counter of a clothing store she is outfitting. She will draw up the plan. Even better, she’ll do it in between phone calls and throwing the ball for the dog now sleeping under her desk.
Graham, Gallery Manager
Graham is the enthusiastic voice greeting you in our showroom. He works as our Gallery Manager and Website Coordinator. He is passionate about styling and interiors, and in addition to daily correspondence with our clients, he is a filmmaker, writer, and fellow Syracuse University graduate. His films have screened around the US and in Europe. Graham is a native of Northwestern Connecticut and has lived in Los Angeles, Manhattan, and overseas.
Graham photographs the exciting items that roll through the door, and waited the descriptions for the website. In his spare time, he enjoys writing, going on walks with his puppy and riding around in his station-wagon.
Katie, Production Manager
Katie works behind the scenes making sure the RTFacts Design projects run smoothly. From making design sheets to planning logistics , She’s our air traffic controller making sure all projects move from the forge to the carpentry table, to the finishing booth and finally delivered on time. With a whip in each hand, she keeps the craftsmen and truckers on their toes and does it with a smile and a twinkle in those chartreuse green eyes. When your beautiful custom mirrors and tables arrive on schedule, she’s the one to thank.
Brendan, Master Craftsman and Product Designer
Brendan has been influenced by furniture and early American design since he first began creating, and if you’ve stopped in our shop you’ve probably heard him share a sentiment on Shaker aesthetic. A graduate of Alfred University’s School of Art and Design, he has shown work in the Museum of Arts and Design in Manhattan, and New York State Museum in Albany, NY among others. Since Brendan joined us in 2011, he has had a hand at doing a bit of everything, from building our Axe tables with locally recollected wood to adding the finishing touches to our mirrors and one of a kind finds. When he’s not working at our shop you’ll still find him sketching tables and chairs, or crafting one of a kind goblets.
Katie, Gallery & Sales Assistant
Matt, Craftsman
Matt is a second-generation race car driver. He worked as a professional driver and racing coach for the past couple of decades. After parking the race car career, Matt arrived at RT Facts, intrigued. He had grown up in a family of artists and craftspeople and had lots of the skill and drive (ha ha) we like to see. Used to moving fast and changing gears, Matt was a perfect fit. Now, Instead of looking in the rearview, Matt sees his reflection in multiples in the mirror workroom. He also does a lot of the prep and finishing work on our iron tables. He lives close enough to go home to run his dogs around at lunchtime.
Rex, Craftsman, Production
Rex was trained at SCAD and Art Institute of Pittsburg, and worked professional in cosmetology, sculpting and doing Special FX makeup for films, advertisements and on Broadway. He designed and created elaborate masks and makeup for The Lion King, Beaty and the Beast, Tarzan, The Grinch, etc. He now makes molds and does the castings for our lighting and mirrors. He dresses and lacquers our linen table tops and covers tables in leather so they are ready for the limelight. It’s a different kind of theatrics but he has shown us there are great similarities between the RT Facts operation and the stage.
Christian, Craftsman
Like many of the Craftspeople here, Christian is a practicing maker. One of our many passionate creators who make all day and then go home and make some more. A recent graduate of Hartford Art School, Christian creates ceramics, pottery and furniture in his free time. He is also training to compete in triathlons. Christian does a lot of the metal work here: grinding, blackening, finishing and also doing gesso work on our lighting fixtures. He adds the element of dry humor and is willing to take on any challenge.
Tim, Craftsman
Richard, Restoration
The finds we bring in daily need refreshening before they are gallery-ready. Thank goodness we have talented Richard, who always rolls in with a smile and hugs for everyone. He has nicknames for all of us and is a ray of sunshine on our busy days! If you see him in the gallery touching up a piece, you can ask what he’s up to, but his secret potions and lotions are concoctions he’s come up with from his 45+ years of experience and he won’t tell you whats in those crazy looking bottles!
John, Metal Craftsman
Close your eyes and think of our shop in summer…. you will probably envision a monumental armillary sphere out front. These and many of our table bases are the creations of John, one of our makers from the inception. You may have seen him around our shop, discussing new design ideas with Greg. John is our metal fabricator with the soul of a sculptor and he brings more to the shop than just his pieces. He brings enthusiasm, optimism and commitment to detail. “Classic” RT Facts designs have been fabricated by John for years, and every new project with John is one that will last for years.
Cherie, Bookkeeper
With the patience of a saint, Cherie has been keeping the books straight at RT Facts since 2013. Managing the purchases and expenses of a bunch of exuberant creative types like us cannot be easy. She lassos us like a cowgirl and keeps us in line. Cherie enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, with whom she likes to go boating, waterskiing, and hiking.
Charlotte, Media
Strong, positive, funny, smart, and organized, Charlotte approaches every project with a clear-headed manner and a devilish twinkle in her eye. Whenever things get overwhelming with the multitude of projects, Charlotte says, “just lean more on me, I’ve got your back.”
Charlotte graduated summa cum laude from Edinboro University with a Bachelor of Arts in World Languages and Cultures. Culinary wizardry occurs in the shadow of Charlotte’s windowsill garden where a tangle of seedlings and avocado trees (nurtured from pits) reach for the sun.