Urban Exodus | Sarah Gray Miller

A NYC magazine editor's eclectic upstate retreat becomes her full time oasis

Sarah Gray Miller in Athens, NY

Sarah has always gravitated towards the intersection between style and rural living. She refuses to conform to the stereotype that small-town living means having to forgo the joy of embracing style. Sarah is the former editor-and-chief of Modern Farmer, Country Living Magazine, and Saveur. A couple years ago, Sarah made the move from NYC to Athens, NY full-time. In 2020, Sarah made the decision to retire from magazine life for good and open up her own eclectic antique/oddities shop called Unquiet. She has an incredible eye for eclectic and beautiful pieces, which she expresses wholeheartedly through the whimsical aesthetic of her shop and her distinctive home. Born and raised in Mississippi, Sarah has retained the Southern cultural hospitality, along with a charming Southern drawl, which she expresses with a ton of fun (and not a lot of fuss) through the curation of her home and home goods at Unquiet.

*Add personal story - How did Alissa and Sarah meet?

Entering Sarah's home is like entering her soul. Since moving upstate full-time, she finally has the time and space to let her full self explore and express using her home as a canvas . A peek inside is a one-of-a-kind experience into her spirited and unique artistic sensibilities.

Sarah is a collector of all sorts. You never know what you are going to find around each corner. Vintage books, art, and ephemera line the walls and shelves. Sarah's not afraid of clean lines, white paint, and modern decor either, which helps balance out and emphasize the curious and remarkable pieces she has been able to source from flea markets, yard sales, and online. A modern-day collector, Sarah's home is a museum of her own creation. Unfussy, and without adherence to a specific era, genre, or style, but rather built from a love of creativity and the strange corners of the human psyche. Visiting Sarah's home was a pleasure, and a reminder of the simple joys that come from surrounding yourself with art, and allowing yourself to continue to play at any age.