In the past couple of years, Kimberly Hathaway has come to love selling “Nice Old Things.”
In fact it was two years ago last month when Hathaway opened 'The Blue House: Nice Old Things' on Route 44 in Canton. The store sells items for the home, both practical and decorative.
“It’s just fun,” Hathaway said. “It’s sort of what I make it everyday. I love beautiful home goods.”
The store features items from several decades.
Each room largely carries a theme, often following the original use of the 1806 home.
Currently, classic holiday dinner wear graces a large kitchen table, a display that makes sense from and aesthetic and business point of view. It may give a customer an idea or potentially the desire to take the table or place settings home with them.
“Now someone can picture it in their home and want their table to look like that,” she said.
The tables are set with classic dinner wear; paintings are hung on the wall. Kitchen utensils are hung and laid out in practical fashion.
Among the offerings are rugs, paintings, utensils, table settings, a few books, clothing and decorative pieces.
The store doesn’t sell on consignment but does purchase items directly from families experiencing a life change or simply cleaning out. Others drive right to the store.
“You never know what’s going to be in the back of that car,” she said.
Hathaway doesn’t participate in estate sales and said she works hard to keep her prices low, often attracting antiques dealers.
“The prices are low but the quality is good,” she said.
Running the business is a fairly recent idea for Hathaway. For more than 15 years she headed the National Kidney Foundation of Connecticut until some changes at the national organization resulted in the elimination of her job.
Running a store, however, was not an entirely foreign concept as her husband Eric has operated the nearby Junk Shop for 13 years.
“He said let’s open a second shop and that’s how this came to be,” she said.
The stores have a different focus and the Junk Shop carries more furniture and products outside of the realm of the Blue House but some the Canton couple will sometimes shuffle items between the two stores.
Kimberly Hathaway said she loves running her own store. She gets many repeat customers and loves to hear people’s stories.
“I feel like I’m a bartender,” she said. “Everyone has a story.”
And Hathaway has a few herself, including a few ghost stories. Pay her a visit to learn more.
The Blue House: Nice Old Things
- 161 Albany Turnpike (Route 44)
- Canton, Connecticut 06019
- (860) 352-2532
- Wednesday through Saturday: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sun: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- khathaway04@gmail.com
- http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Blue-House-Nice-Old-Things/118553071568270?fref=ts
