Today we’d like to introduce you to Francesca Talbot.
Hi Francesca, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I guess I always knew I was going to do “something” in the world of art. At an early age, art was the way I saw the world. MY escape. Both my mother and her mother were huge influences in my life. Always found a way to make use of what they had, reimagine and reuse everyday items. To this day my mom still cheers me on and helps me create a better space for my shops. I studied art in college and then taught art for 17 years. All the while creating. Sold my paintings at different shows and galleries and surrounded myself with fellow artists. I love this community. I love being around creative and open-minded people. About 14 years ago I found myself in Wilmington, NC selling in a vendor co-op space. a few artists here and there, mainly vintage and new resale items. I thought, I can do this but focus on artists instead. So in 2014 I opened up Barn & Beach Designs in Southport, NC. I had a great, but small space, maybe 1,100 sq feet, but it worked. At the time there were around 15-20 artists that I represented. We outgrew that space and moved to another and then another and now where we are today. I have 9 employees, 2 stores and over 100 artists that we represent. Our second store, Barn & Garden brings the world of plants and nature to the equation, with a bookstore and coffee shop and a shop bunny named BB. With the help and inspiration from my husband Jay Talbot and my son JT we have created some amazing stores. I could not nor would want to do this venture without them.
We also added a third business, Heirloom & Acres Estate Sales. This was a jump from our first business but brings so much joy. Here we get to help folks downsize and simplify their lives by selling the contents of their homes or the homes of loved ones passed. We get to hear their stories and feel honored to be a part of their lives, even if only for a short while.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
LOL!! What story would be complete without some drama, and man have we seen it. Our area, Brunswick County NC is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. With that has been some growing pains. Bridge construction that took over a year and diverted traffic away from our shop. So, you get other businesses together and sell t-shirts with the catch phrase “Troubled Bridge over Waters” to promote and encourage folks to make the extra effort and drive time to shop and support us. Then Mother Nature steps in in the form of Hurricane Florence and destroys our shop and the contents in it. So, you pick yourself back up and move to another location only to be hit with sewer construction that closes the street Infront of your shop for close to a year. Then of course we cannot forget Covid and not being an essential business to be able to be open to the public. We started to sell online on Facebook Marketplace and make free deliveries to people’s houses. Just to be able to pay bills and staff. In the midst of a pandemic there is still a rise in interest in Brunswick County, thus came the increase in commercial rent in the area. And you move the business location again. All the while growing in the need for more space as the business grows. We find our current location and met with major road construction that takes over a year to complete and once again closes down the main causeway to your shop. Construction in front of us is now over and fingers crossed Mother Nature and the DOT will take it easy on this year.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Barn & Beach Designs and Barn & Garden?
Barn & Beach Designs got its start over 12 years ago in a barn in a small town in NC. A dream of owning my own business was starting to take shape in the form of an artist’s market. A place where fellow artists could showcase their works, have classes and demonstrations and share ideas. Each year that my store has been open I add an element of take away what does not seem to be working, but the constant has always been offering handmade items to the public. I represent close to 100 local artists, who create everything from furniture, jewelry, pottery, clothing, soaps and candles, photography to original paintings and drawings. Most of our artists are happy to do custom orders so customers can join in the creative journey. Each artist has their own booth within either one of our two stores and do an amazing job of keeping it filled with new inventory, so each trip to us feels like the first-time in. Our larger store, over 7,000 sq feet, showcases the majority of our artists with designated booth spaces. It was a former auto parts store, the front being floor to ceiling windows, which make for a bright and cheery feeling as you walk in. Our second store Barn & Garden is my sweet little garden center. Hosting 20 of our local artists. And a large variety of local plants from our local growers. This shop is much smaller in size, only 2,500 sq feet but packs so much personality. Once a former Burger King, it too has tons of natural light from all the windows that adorn the front of the store. In here we have a coffee shop, offering Larry’s Coffee, a sweet and cozy bookstore in the back of the shop, and of course the star of the show, our shop bunny BB, who entertains our guests. There is an outside patio to enjoy a cup of coffee and a book. The front patio is our garden center and filled with native and pollinator friendly plants. The inside of the shop is a mix of artwork, house plants and fun finds and vintage items and tons of informational binders on what to plant and how to plant in our area. We also have a refillery where folks can come in and fill jars of eco friendly cleaning products and laundry detergents and purchase sustainable sponges, towels and scrappers.
A big part of our business is up-cycling. Where it’s a hand made piece of are or furniture, we try our best to keep items out of the landfill. Part of that is refinishing furniture. We offer that service to the public and sell a beautiful line of Fusion Mineral paint to help bring new life to worn out items.
What sets us apart is probably all that we offer to the public. We are not just a retail store; we are a community. There is always something going on at we affectionately call “The Barn & Beach Block”, Art classes and demonstrations, garden talks and lectures, vendor markets, and free offerings like our puzzle swap and plant propagation station. An art supply area where the proceeds go to an art scholarship to a local student looking to go to art school. (we have offered two scholarships so far since starting this program). We are even doing a plant swap bingo night. And what keeps this all going is the amazing staff I have. The support of my husband, son and my mom. I could not do this without them. Each one of my 9 staff members makes the block fun. They know the artists well and contribute greatly to their success. Being close to the beautiful beaches of Brunswick County NC our shops are filled with the natural inspirations around us. Art, plants, coffee, books and a shop bunny; what more could you ask for.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Collaboration has always been what works for us. Being part of the community and knowing what is going on in your community is key to running a successful business. We love to work with and promote other small businesses. Something as simple as liking and sharing another business social media. Creating outdoor markets where vendors and other small businesses can set up and promote their offerings. We have the mindset that if we don’t have it that someone in our community does and happy to share that information with our customers. It’s not easy running a small business, there is always a struggle, or a storm, construction or a pandemic, but with the help and support of other fellow business it’s a whole lot easier and fun.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barnandgardensouthport and https://www.instagram.com/barnandbeachtoo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1E46vwPedN/ and https://www.facebook.com/share/1E4LGrfntL/
