Meet Amy Hart | Founder & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Hart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
This quote by the British designer William Morris (who was influential in reviving the traditional textile arts during the Arts & Crafts movement in the 19th century) rings as true to me today as it must have others when Morris spoke it. However, for our purposes at The Hare & The Hart, I contend that the “or” in the sentence should be replaced with the word “and” – because at our shop, and in our home, we adore objects that are useful AND beautiful.
Joy in everyday living can be simple – why not a pot brush that is well-made from wood and natural bristles rather than plastic? Why not a pretty Le Parfait glass jar that can be used over and over again to store various items rather than (again) plastic? And beautiful art that hangs on the wall is inherently useful, in my opinion, because it sets a tone and elevates a mood when entering the room.
At our shop in downtown Thomasville, Georgia, we curate a selection of artisan goods that are English at heart with a Southern sensibility & a French twist. When sourcing items for our customers, those objects need to pass the “useful and beautiful” test. And when designing our original art and patterns (and the products they are offered on) we definitely strive for an aesthetic and functionality that combine to make everyday life a little more pleasing.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
About me (from our website): In case you haven’t already heard it from her, Amy’s favorite place in the world is the Cotswolds – and to her, Thomasville is the Cotswolds of the South. In her free time, when she’s not discovering, dreaming up, or designing new things for the shop, Amy is either reading British murder mysteries, watching British murder mysteries (and wondering how there’s anyone left alive in the English countryside!), cozying up her 1800’s home by cooking good food and rearranging the furniture — or planning Chris’ and her next trip.

About my business: The Hare & The Hart offers gifts and goods that are English at heart with a Southern sensibility & a French twist. We adore celebrating the beauty of the places people love, embellishing the spaces surrounding them, and sharing in the extraordinary joy of the everyday. In addition to our original designs, we are pleased to carry established local artists along with unique product lines from artisans and other family-owned and small businesses throughout the South and across the pond. A family owned-and-run business, we are the designer of the designs Toile of Thomasville™, the Toile of Tallahassee©, and the officially licensed Toile of FSU®. Other original designs include: Woodland Creatures, Literary Quotes, and Birds & Bees.

The Hare & The Hart is:

English at heart…

Our shop’s aesthetic is inspired by that of the lovely shops that we’ve encountered in the villages of the UK, most especially those in the Cotswolds.

Anglophiles to the core, Amy and Chris Hart were struck with the inspiration for the name The Hare & The Hart in front of a pub called The Jugged Hare in London in 2016 (Hart means “stag” in old English). The idea for our first toile design, the Toile of Tallahassee, was sparked on that same trip during a dinner with friends at The Northbank Restaurant upon seeing a modern London toile pattern on its wallpaper and menus. Our whimsical Woodland Creature product line by Maddie Hart evokes the English love affair with all things rural.

… with a Southern sensibility…

Here in the Red Hills region of South Georgia and North Florida, we are surrounded by rolling hills, beautiful quail hunting properties, moss-draped oaks and long-leaf pines, and nearby beaches… not to mention the communal charm of southern hospitality, amazing food, and greeting friends at church on Sunday morning.

… & a French Twist

Amy’s mainly English ancestry is tinged with a bit of France through her French great-grandmother from the Alsace Lorraine region of France who settled in New Orleans. This naturally adds a bit of a French twist to her decorating sensibility (and personality)! Our toile product lines are an homage to that most uniquely French fabric, Toile de Jouy.

Challenges: Yes, there have been many challenges, whether it’s learning how to license my designs or moving my shop to a larger location. These things can be scary! I’ve learned that when facing challenges in business, it’s best to break down what looks like a monumental goal into tasks and take everything one day at a time. Do at least one thing each day to get toward your final vision. You’ll look back later and be amazed at what you did!

Lessons: I’ve owned my business for seven years now, and I have learned to surround myself with people whom I trust to support me. Whether it’s my daughter and husband (who co-founded the business with me), my son and my niece, who also work closely in the business, or friends and other family to cheer me on and offer good advice. I certainly could not do it without my local fabricator, Jenny of Honey Bee Fabrications, who handmakes all of our products out of our original fabrics! A big step was deciding back in 2020 to become a member of a mastermind group led by our wonderful business coach and mentor, Wendy Batten. We are a group of about 20 creative entrepreneurs from all over North America, and even as far as Scotland and New Zealand, who get together virtually several times a month and in person at least every year. Wendy has taught me so much about what I do, and she “speaks my language” as a non-business major who now owns a thriving business! That has been a game-changer for me. If you are thinking about going into business, I highly encourage to you to surround yourself personally with good people who want the best for you but will also tell you the truth, and professionally with mentors and other people in your industry who will teach you and support you.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh, my goodness – There is so much to do here! We are in the beautiful town of Thomasville, GA, which is nestled in the Red Hills region of southwest Georgia/north Florida, just about 30 minutes north of Tallahasssee. A week-long itinerary… hmmm… I would ask my friend to visit during one of our amazing events in Thomasville. We are a very art-centric community and our Center for the Arts puts on several events, like Due South in the spring and Wildlife Arts Festival in the fall. So, first I would take my friend to one of those events. And we would dine our way around downtown Thomasville all week. First, we would take the Taste of Thomasville food tour for a quick history of the town and small bites at different establishments — and then go back for full meals: Liam’s restaurant with its cozy upscale pub-like atmosphere, Sweet Grass with its world-famous cheeses, Jonah’s Fish and Grits (enough said), Empire Bagel, Chophouse on the Bricks, Sweet Cacao chocolates, George and Louie’s for Southern food with a Greek twist. The list could go on and on (did I mention SASS, Savannah Moon, or Moonspin yet?).
Then, we would visit all the sites that I depict on my Toile of Thomasville pattern: the famous rose garden, the Lapham-Patterson House, the Big Oak, the Henry O. Flipper memorial, the amphitheater, and downtown .
Downtown (“on the bricks”), we would visit not only my own shop on Broad Street and Jackson Street, but also many others: Southlife Supply Company for made-in-front-of-you leather goods, Kevin’s for getting a feel for the whole quail-hunting lifestyle (our area is the quail hunting capital of the world), our wonderful independent bookstore The Bookshelf, our good old-fashioned toy store The Imagination Emporium, our fiber arts store Fuzzy Goat, and many more (Abode, Relish, The Gift Shop, Pasco Farm Shop, Grassroots Coffee, Farmer’s Daughter, Hubs & Hops, 1861 Distillery, Blake Candle Co., Rafa Natural, Mode, Firefly,etc.)
And then in our whole area, the Red Hills region, there is so much to do with trails to hike and bike, beaches within reach, places to tour – like Pebble Hill and Mission San Luis — that we would actually need more than a week!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Living a Beautiful Life (book by Alexandra Stoddard)

Website: https://thehareandthehart.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehareandthehart/

Other: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thehareandthehart

Image Credits
Emily Tucker photography (only one image – the one of me)