Now, more than ever, shoppers are making an effort to support local business. That’s exactly what you can do at &Home, a new shop for handmade kitchen and home goods in Chester. The store curates a variety of wares, but the goal is to support local artists and encourage supporting local business.
“Everything in our store is handmade and about 50 percent of our artists are from the general Morris County area,” says Erik Eitel, who owns the shop with his wife, Liz. “We try to support local artists the best we can. But our store is about bringing together the best artists from a variety of different wares/types of items.”
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For example, they carry ceramics from Stone House Studio in Chester; wooden cutting boards, tables, and bowls from The Wooden Stone in Port Murray; infused sea salts and sugars from Saltopia in Hackettstown; as well as chili oil from Chumami in Orange.
&Home Supports Local Artists
The layout of &Home intentionally puts products as the focal point, and features a clean and open vibe. But don’t ask if they have any more stock in the back; what you see on the shelves is what they have to sell. In addition, inventory varies on what each maker creates.
“We want the store to be approachable and accessible. Handmade doesn’t have to mean fragile,” Erik says. “We want our customers to pick up and touch the ceramics, smell the candles, and experience the wooden tables.”
Of course, customer service is a key aspect of &Home. “We want to know our customers personally,” Liz says. “Big box stores generally can’t have that level of relationship with their customers and community.” In fact, &Home lets customers request products they want to see in the shop. “We’re excited to be able to highlight immensely talented artists and bring a new concept to Chester,” she adds.
By spring, &Home hopes to host “meet-the-maker” events, where artists come in and talk about their work. “When you shop local, you’re helping send an artist’s kid to camp or helping pay for college,” Erik says. “Your money goes back into the community.”
About the Owners
Erik and Liz live in Chester Township. Liz is a professional ceramic artist, while Erik’s background is in technology. Though neither have prior retail experience, they think things will work out fine.“We immediately had a connection with our fellow small business owners as well as the community,” Erik says. “We both firmly believe that if we have the right products and do right by the community and artists that we will be able to build something special.”
You’ll find &Home at 54 Main Street, Suite 1, in Chester. Look for them online for hours and other info.
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All Photos: © &Home
