Feature: Homespun Treasures
For all intents and purposes, Homespun Treasures, the rustic, homey, country, quaint store located in the Sault’s downtown, was never really supposed to happen in its current format.
You see, owners Ruth and David Nicholson ran a smaller scale business out of their home with the help of participating vendors from the years 2011 to 2013.
It was after David retired from a long career in teaching that they decided to give this “hobby” a real go out of their home — then later at a local mall.
In addition to hand-crafted wooden items and various crafts, Ruth also saw a market for her long-arm quilting which she had a gift for and that she also sold out of the family home. Both Ruth and David had always been a fan of gift and craft shows and after attending so many of them, they decided to try and recreate the experience out of their home.
In the beginning, both Ruth and David contributed to the inventory they sold with David doing the wood working and Ruth doing much of the painting.
Then, in 2014, an opportunity presented itself to open an actual storefront in the location known for years as the Patrick Flynn building, which many Sault Ste. Marie residents remember with fond memories. They bought the building in 2014 and primarily, the idea that they could be their own boss and set their own schedule was part of the reason they didn’t stay in the mall that they were in for a short while.
Ruth explained there is definitely a little more freedom when you are in your own space and their current location offered way more room for expanding their offerings, and expand they certainly have!
Anyone who visits should be prepared to spend some time perusing the many beautiful items carefully selected by the couple. The words that come to mind when you look at the merchandise they carry are things like, home, nostalgic, rustic, warm, quaint and charming.
It also smells amazing with subtle pleasant scents wafting through the store due to the lovely candles they showcase which are one of their best sellers, namely the Crossroads line and the unique wood wick candles that crackle when you burn them. Those looking for those elusive dinner candles, head to Homespun Treasures, they are one of the few places where you can still get them.
The store has really become a family affair with their daughter Marian helping out quite a bit. In fact, Ruth tells Sault Business Matters that they would be hard pressed to do it without her.
On this particular day of my visit to the store, granddaughter Abigail was even lending a hand, which goes to show that people of all ages love spending time at Homespun Treasures and that visits with Grandma and Grandpa are pretty special!
Ruth and David want to remind people that they welcome visits and that people sometimes may avoid coming in thinking that they feel “they have to buy something” and that is not the expectation at all.
Both David and Ruth love to chat and visit with people and in fact, they have lots of regulars, including a few older folk who perhaps are a bit lonely who stop in just for some conversation and David readily admits, some jovial, all in good fun teasing by him.
Knowing Ruth and David for a while now, this writer is not surprised, they exude what customer service is all about — you instantly know that they are good people.
So, what’s in the store? Perhaps the better question is, what’s not in the store?
Some of the numerous items include pottery, quilts, blankets, throws, pillows, tablecloths, Amish made furniture, place-mats, garden decor, seasonal decor, maple syrup, hand crafted wood items, signs, penny rugs, wreaths, tin items, wrought iron items, lamps, home decor items, alpaca products, picture frames, art, candles, Canadian made items and so much more!
Ruth tries hard to find things that other stores don’t carry as much as possible and that are really unique. They order from a variety of suppliers but in small quantities and even carry many one of a kind items from the Amish after they go to shows in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Customers range from locals, to a lot of tourists and often locals who have visiting family members from out of town who make a special trip to the store because they miss it.
In fact, David tells Sault Business Matters that a customer from England who discovered the store returned to the Sault for a subsequent visit and brought an empty suitcase with them so they could load up on some of their favourite items that they can’t get in England, easily spending between $300 and $500 on that return visit.
When asked about whether they carry locally made items, they do have some in stock such as items that their daughter Marian has made, local maple syrup, jams, and the popular Raggedy Ann Dolls made by Lucy Boston. They also carry a delicious line of Ontario made dip mixes with pretty natural ingredients that are both popular and delicious, called Deb’s Dips which are great for entertaining. Many of the other items sold are Canadian made.
The front window and outdoor displays by David and Ruth are outstanding and a great example of effective marketing that other downtown businesses should take note of. In fact, it was one of David’s window displays that caught the eye of film scouts looking for a location to shoot a Christmas-themed Hallmark movie here in the city.
The store was completely emptied to be one of the central shooting locations for the film Nostalgic Christmas and after shooting was completed, it took about three days to get everything put back in place but the experience was totally worth it!
It is pretty neat that Homespun Treasures can say they were such a big part of a Hallmark movie and despite all the hard work to get everything back in place, they would do it again.
They have also had quite a few people discovering them for the first time because of people wanting to see “where that movie was made” but after stepping in the store, they are so happy they did after they see how much is in the store and how beautiful it is. Ruth came up with the fitting name for the store and it truly is the perfect name.
Visit Homespun Treasures on Facebook to stay in the loop on upcoming events planned. The store is located at 762 Queen St. E. and current hours of operation are Wednesday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(See below for a number of Downtown Association photos of the inside of Homespun Treasures.)
