The ol’ country store is as American as eating an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. Historically, in rural communities, they’re a given. In modern times, they’re harder to come by, but worth taking a trip to find. For Northern Virginians, especially fans of the ever-popular farmhouse decor trend, that means hopping in the car and taking a drive to Remington’s Main Street to shop at Snake Oak Farm Store.
Erika Warner and her husband, Christian, helm the store, and are also the owners of Snake Oak Farm, a small, family-run farm also located in Remington. The store, which turns one year old in September, is home to unique, handmade products that aren’t available anywhere else, not even online. “We’re focusing on home good products that are very, very hyper-local,” Erika says. “We’re making most of this stuff within our family or through vendors within a 10-mile radius of our house,” adds Christian.
Roam the cozy shop and you’ll find items ranging from beeswax candles, kitchen sets, hand towels and dish clothes to coffee table books on gardening, letterpress cards and more. There are also hats and accessories, as well as beauty products like organic soaps, lip balms and hand salves.
“We want it to be a different type of retail store,” Erika says. “We want to offer products that if somebody walks in, they can’t get these items anywhere else. The store’s a little bit modern and a little bit funky, but we carry vintage items and it’s very bright. You’re not walking in and buying a pillow that you can get from any home goods store, you’re walking in and you’re buying a pillow that somebody in this local community made.”
It’s all part of Snake Oak Farm Store’s charm. It’s not the type of boutique you’d find on a city street corner—it’s small town all the way, and that’s how the Warners like it. “We’re trying so hard because our little small town has had so many ups and downs over the years,” Erika says. “When we had the opportunity to buy the building, we promised the town, ‘Hey, we’re going to stick around and we’re going to be a retail presence. We’re not going anywhere.’” // 203 E. Main St., Remington
Shopkeeper Picks
Snake Oak Farm Store’s signature items are fit for every home.
Farm-Fresh Flora
For an extra bit of that straight-from-the-farm feel, locally grown cut flowers are always available, usually from the Warners’ own farm, and sold in mason jar arrangements too. “I’m really passionate about it,” Erika says. “The store has kind of a muted background to be able to show off the flowers in the store.” // Market Bouquets, $12-$30; Designer’s Choice Arrangements, $50-$100
Back to Nature
Hello, earthy aesthetic. Sustainable, wooden cutting boards created by a local woodworker will upgrade any kitchen to an Instagram-worthy level. // WUD Cutting Boards, $40-$150
All the Buzz
The most popular item in the store, The Vintage Bee Candles, are handmade by Erika, poured into “vintage glass items that we find when we go thrifting and antiquing,” she says. “Each vessel is different.” // The Vintage Bee Candles, $8-$25, depending on size and rarity of glassware
This article originally appeared in our August 2020 print issue. For more spotlights on home goods stores in the NoVA region, subscribe to our weekly Home newsletter.
