Our lovely little town of Berlin seems to just get better and better each year, and this year is no exception. Not only did we see an influx of new businesses (Uncle Jon’s Soap, Bleached Butterfly, Leaky Pete’s, On What Grounds…) but we saw some of the staple businesses of the town thrive and expand as well. Last week, we presented you with the new Bustle location, which has afforded the adorable bridal boutique with a larger showroom than its former Main Street location. The Main Street space was not empty for long; Bungalow Love was quick to jump on the spot, moving from its former space on Williams Street (now home to Uncle Jon’s Soap). So of course we just had to stop by the new Bungalow Love location to see what owner Heather Layton had done with the space…
According to Layton, the new location gives her almost double the space to work with, including an area for a work room for all of her ongoing projects. Layton has been in business in Berlin for roughly five and a half years, building a business based on her passion for local art and crafting. “I had been doing arts and crafts shows for 10 to 15 years. When I heard about the Williams Street location, I just took a leap of faith and did it,” said Layton. That same leap of faith has turned into a popular, blossoming business that has become synonymous with Berlin’s retail scene.
“I try to buy as local as possible,” explained Layton as we admired the eclectic mix of items artfully scattered throughout the shop. “The inventory is always changing.” The walls are adorned with local artwork, including local renowned artist Patrick Henry, who will be featuring his work in the shop. Big sellers this year have been the fair trade bags and the hanging terrariums, noted Layton, although we had our eye on the gorgeous hammock sprawled out in the front window. Jewelry, soaps, home décor…there’s a little something for all tastes and interests. Also available is Atlantic Retreat Apothecary. Located just down the street in Berlin, Atlantic Retreat Wellness has been mixing up their own line of apothecary products for some time now, with facial serums, spritzers, body oils, salts, salves and more available.
Also on the horizon for Bungalow Love are summer classes led by area artists. The “Crafting Under the Stars” evenings would provide interested participants with the chance to learn crafting projects from local artists – a DIY with the experts if you will. We’ll definitely keep you posted on that one!
As always, our pictures do the best justice for what awaits you at Bungalow Love. Take a look…
Photos by Gina Whaley
