HUDSON – Business is booming at Knotty Pine Design and Consignment.
Though co-owners and siblings Lisa Manning and Bill Blaisdell didn’t plan it this way, the success of the shop, Manning said in a recent interview, is one happy accident.
Back in 2020, the brother-sister pair were simply looking for space to work. Blaisdell is a furniture builder and Manning is a painter. Their homes were getting crowded by their creations.
After moving into a 6,000-square-foot space at The Landing at Hudson Mills, what they initially thought would simply be a storeroom for their work transformed into a store.
“We started a Facebook Marketplace site and posted items that we had finished making or refurbishing,” Manning said. “People would stop by and say, ‘But what are you doing with all this other stuff?’ It got to the point where we thought, ‘Why not just make it a store?’’’
Knotty Pine, which takes its name from the pallet wood-based furniture in the store, has grown by leaps and bounds since opening in May 2021. Aside from the work of Manning and her brother, 30 other vendors share their handcrafted wares in Knotty Pine, showcasing everything from pottery and antiques to soaps and candles.
Oh, and don’t forget the cool vintage toys, too.
“We see ourselves as a place where people can come and while away their time and see things that make them happy,” Manning said. “And we’re grateful to have a place for vendors who don’t want to have a shop of their own but want to sell their work. What they’re offering is more than Bill and I could do on our own, and it’s great that the community has access to those things.”
Manning said the store is more like an Etsy shop than it is like a flea market.
This summer, meanwhile, Knotty Pine may very well become an educational center of sorts, too.
“We hope to have a makers’ space for children to take summer classes and learn about things like Legos, sewing and chalk painting,” Manning said.
She and Blaisdell also plan to have “shop and sip” events where guests can visit after work, pick out pieces and learn to refurbish them.
“The goal is to bring the community inside the shop to share our knowledge and passion with them and continue building the community of makers we’ve started here,” she said.
Manning said she’s overwhelmed by the community’s response to their relatively new business.
“The best part is when folks walk in the store and say, ‘wow,’’’ she said. “It happens every single day. We’re blown away and so thankful by the connections we’ve made with other businesses and the people in Hudson. This has changed our lives.”
Knotty Pine is located at 43 Broad St. at the Landing at Hudson Mills in Hudson.
Learn more at knotty-pine-design.com.
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