We first met Sophie Randall when we wandered into Fox Object, her newly opened shop just a few blocks away on Allen Street. The space is filled with vintage furniture, lighting, and ephemera—bits and pieces from the past, unearthed and sourced for present-day spaces. When we began thinking about refreshing our storefront for spring, she was the first person we called.

Lucia Bell-Epstein photographed Sophie in Colbo SS25 at home and in her shop, both just around the corner from Colbo. We sat down with her to talk about the space, her design philosophy, and the small but meaningful changes she made to help us breathe new life into our own store.

We became fans of Fox Object as soon as we first set foot in the new space. Will you tell us a bit about your vision for the shop? 

I wanted the store to feel similar to a friend’s living room. When I signed the lease last February the space was a mess- it was being used for construction and storage. I added a ceiling and some walls –painted the floor. The inventory is constantly changing so having a nice spatial background was worth it. The goal was always to be really useful and accessible – it’s important to me that my friends can come in and buy pieces for themselves. 

Where did its name come from? Is it your handwriting we see in its logo? We love a hand-drawn or hand-written element, too. 

Yes, for a while drawing sort of became my whole thing. It started with a bad concussion that caused long-term screen sensitivity in high school. I went to college for interior architecture and design and drove my teachers crazy when I wouldn’t use AutoCAD or Rhino. It meant hours on the computer, so I insisted on hand-drawing everything. I still hand-draw the logo on every bag that leaves the store – it’s just something I enjoy. 

Fox is a family name. One of my middle names and the maiden name of my grandmother. And I just like the word object – it describes what I sell perfectly.

Do you play music at the shop?

I always play music at the shop, but it’s honestly totally dependent on my mood for the day. I spend so much time in the space so playlists can feel repetitive… but picture the 10 hour Lo-Fi videos on YouTube with the anime character art. I was a big Soundcloud person growing up. I still haven’t made the Spotify jump. 

What has been one of the most inspiring pieces that you've sourced so far? It's clear that the stories and histories of each object are such an important part of your process – and collecting itself is such an art. 

I will say, everything in the space pretty much has a story. I don’t sell objects that are new – everything has a past life. There is one particular piece, however, that I’ll always love - and will probably always regret selling - that I found while sourcing in Italy last year. 

I was staying along Lake Como and hit an antique shop around the corner from where I’d had lunch. I was going to pay and leave after finding some cool things but asked to use their bathroom. The sales woman was hesitant. It was clear they don’t offer their bathroom to the public but since I was buying some pieces she agreed. The bathroom was basically a storage closet, stocked to the brim with stuff. I spied a framed oil paint still-life of shells and books on top of the cabinet in the corner that I couldn’t reach and asked the woman about it. It must have been in there for 20-plus years. 

It did in fact have a tag on it with a price that clearly hadn’t been impacted by inflation yet. She let me buy it, and I brought it back to the States in my carry-on. It was really special – great color palette from 1919. Light browns and pinks. The sweet woman that bought it from me a couple months later actually brought it back home to the UK in her carry-on, which is something I love. I always joke that the painting wanted to go back home to Europe. 

What are some places you like to stop for food or drink in the neighborhood — on shop days or on days off?

I feel really loyal to wining and dining in the neighborhood. I live around the corner from the shop so I rarely go very far. Obviously Colbo’s coffee is a must. For food I’m a huge fan of the shrimp heads at Cervo’s and the mushroom croquets at Carlota. The dirty martinis at FMN too. If I’m in the mood for a solo-date I’ll hit Cafe Katja for their Jagerschnitzel – I’m really into spatzle right now. 

Oh – and Harpers Bread House or The Sandwich Board for lunch on days I’m in the shop.

How does your background in interior design influence the space? After your refresh to Colbo, we're curious about the relationship between your approach to your own shop and to refreshing or designing spaces for others. And will you let us behind the curtain and share a bit about how you approached Colbo's own storefront update? 

The most obvious influence for me was just knowing how to transform a space in the most cost-effective and high-impact way possible. After working at firms on super high-end projects for a couple years I’d sort of learned how to “get the look” without the exorbitant spending. I always take this approach to my personal clients. 

With a retail space, like Colbo, there isn’t one end user – it’s for everyone that comes into the store. So a super-personalized space doesn’t always make sense. I let their inventory guide the refresh. Their fabrics and color palette for their spring collection really influenced the fabrics and finishes we brought into the space. The pieces brought in from Fox Object and Item:Enso worked together beautifully to extend the overall Colbo look. Having a tight timeline is always a fun challenge, too. I think we had three weeks before the spring collection came out to sort of bring it together. It becomes a group effort – and you had a great contractor on hand too. 

Looking ahead! Any exciting objects or projects coming your way that you can share? 

I have some fun sourcing trips ahead. Spring and summer are the best seasons if you’re a flea market fanatic like me. I’m also dipping my toes back into furniture design this year – hoping to make some pieces limited to the store. I really want to keep the affordable and timeless aspect in mind for each design so material is going to be first on the docket. But for now, I’m still traveling every week to bring new pieces into the shop. I have my weekly regulars now so I have to keep the inventory fresh. They know to show up on Thursday to get the first look. 

Overall, I’m just loving being in the neighborhood and I’m looking forward to continuing to contribute to the unique environment that exists down here. As you guys know, opening a shop in Manhattan isn’t for the weak… but the connections that come out of it are pretty unmatched.

Fox Object is located around the corner from Colbo, at 35 ½ Allen Street, New York, NY and open Thursday – Sunday from 11AM – 6PM or by appointment: info@foxobject.com