Pushing open the tall, hefty door of R.T. Home in Woodstock is to be instantly transported into the aesthetic world of shop owner Robert Trizinsky. Upon entering, every sense is immediately called forth. On this day, an Italian opera is playing in the background, and the room is gently perfumed by a fragrant candle, creating a warm welcome. The table in the center of the room is layered with kitchen linens, books, and stationery in an attractive display. Robert helps a customer, while others take it all in and get lost amongst the abundant landscape.

R.T. Home is a floor-to-ceiling invitation for any shopper. It exudes the feeling of a stately manor from the past and brings to mind a line from a Zadie Smith novel: “This house wore silk and gold and velvet like a woman.” There are piles of Turkish rugs and giant blue-and-white Chinese vases displayed on shelves. Antique prints and oil paintings in wooden frames line the walls. Armfuls of dried flowers give a burst of texture and drama to the still-life tableau of modern home goods on the tables below.

Robert spent summers and vacations in Woodstock with his family on and off since the 1970s. He opened R.T. Home in 2014 and is coming up on a decade on Central Street. Robert has worked in retail his whole life and had always wanted to open a shop of his own. Before becoming one of Woodstock’s beloved shop owners, Robert worked in private retail for the wealthy residents of Greenwich, Connecticut, decorating their houses and even their boats and planes.

Robert relishes being his own boss and works seven days a week at the store. Asked if he ever takes any time off, Robert laughs in the way most people who own businesses do. He does manage to take some time away from the store for buying trips, a topic that fills his eyes with delight. He attends auctions and antique shows all around New England and New York. To get some of the newer treasures from abroad, he relies on connections from former colleagues. A friend sourced the Turkish rugs on a recent buying trip.

There is very little downtime in downtown Woodstock, though Robert concedes mud season is the slowest it gets. The time between Thanksgiving and the New Year might be his favorite of the many bustling seasons. Robert says Woodstock offers the “quintessential New England Christmas” and it even rivals leaf-peeping season for his busiest time of year.

He loves the store being “overdone,” he says. His windows are a point of pride every year, with some of his customers taking their family photos in front of them. The Christmas window experience is rare in Vermont, and Robert—inspired by the Christmas windows of his former city life—likes to go all out.