*in honor of small business saturday (nov. 24), i'm featuring four shops in my town of northampton, massachusetts, in a series of posts called "open." the owners filled out a short q+a and i visited each store to take a few photos. i'm hoping that not only will this drum up holiday business for the small businesses in the town i love so much, but that other bloggers will be inspired to do the same in their towns! feel free to link back to this post, and post a link to your "open" features in the comments! these posts are not sponsored. read "open" posts 1, 3 + 4.
welcome to kestrel!
kestrel is a new addition to the landscape of small businesses in northampton -- and a welcome one! home decor, lots of terrarium inspiration, + a sitting area (feat. eames chairs) complete with a kinfolk magazine? i could live there. not kidding.
q+a with kestrel owner eliza jane bradley:
when did your business open? october 12, 2012
what does your business sell? we focus on home decor and gifts -- everything from pottery, kitchen wares, textiles, jewelry, furniture, books, prints, to garden decor. we have a lovely selection of hand-picked succulents, other unusual plant species, and beautiful containers to go with them. we focus on quality, creativity, craftsmanship + beauty when selecting our products -- all of which are either handmade, fair-trade, organic, repurposed, or simply designed so beautifully that we just couldn't resist. our aesthetic is both modern + natural, clean + simple, with a bit of a rustic industrial twist.
what does being a "small business owner" mean to you? the idea of being able to create/curate a space that represents all of the artists and designers i've admired for so long and create a business out of it -- how wonderful! it really seemed like the most fulfilling job for me, and a way to combine all of my strengths and interests and be doing something that i really love to do. so far the connections + relationships i have developed with people who have walked into the shop is the most rewarding part of being a small business owner for me so far.
what is it like to own a small business in northampton? i have always felt that northampton would be a great place to own a store. people in the valley seem to really care about + support handmade craft + design, there is a very strong community-oriented spirit town. it's been so nice getting to know other local business owners -- everyone has been really welcoming + supportive which has been wonderful. i can't lie -- the project was super frightening at times but opening my doors and having people come in, get excited + appreciate what i am doing brings a huge smile to my face and makes me feel like, ok...this was the right decision.
kestrel is located at 22 masonic street in northampton. kestrel is open mon. - weds. 10 am - 6 pm; thurs. - sat. 10 am - 8 pm; sun. 11 am - 5 pm. call 413-341-3115.
