L AT E S T
SHOP LOCAL
What’s New? THE FRENCH COTTAGE FAYETTEVILLE
THE MUDDY PIG LITTLE ROCK
The owners of The Painted Pig, a paint-your-own pottery and DIY studio in Little Rock, have announced the opening of a sister studio offering pottery wheel instruction. Located in west Little Rock’s Pleasant Ridge shopping center, The Muddy Pig will offer group classes and private lessons for a variety of skill levels. “We’ve always been asked if we would offer pottery wheel classes at The Painted Pig, and when we moved to a larger location in 2019, the plan was to start it there,” says co-owner Allie Nottingham. “We decided in summer 2021 that we wanted to finally expand and this should be its own studio.” All classes and “try-it nights” will be available on a reservation basis, and openstudio memberships for access to clay and wheels any time during store hours will eventually be offered to those with more advanced skills. “We’re really hoping to build a pottery community, and also continue what we started when we opened The Painted Pig almost 15 years ago,” Allie says. The Muddy Pig aims to open by the end of the year at 11525 Cantrell Road, Suite 912. For more information, sign up to receive email updates at muddypigstudio.com and follow along on Instagram (@muddypigstudio).
12 At Home in Arkansas | December 2021
Photos courtesy of The French Cottage and Weathered Goods
Four years after Chris Bronson closed the doors on her beloved antiques and interiors store, her daughter-in-law picked up the torch for the family business. Jennifer Bronson’s The French Cottage opened this fall featuring antiques imported from France as well as gifts such as soaps, candles, gourmet food items, and home décor. Jennifer worked with her mother-inlaw at French Quarters & Feather Your Nest in downtown Fayetteville for almost 20 years, learning the ropes of the antiques market while accompanying Chris on buying trips to Europe and developing relationships with vendors there. During the pandemic, she was moved to open a store that would honor Chris’s memory while serving customers who had been loyal to her for decades. “I didn’t realize what a void this store had left until I re-opened,” Jennifer says. “It’s amazing to see our customers back again, people whose children were small last time I saw them, now all grown up.” The French Cottage is located at 2909 Main Drive in Fayetteville near historic Johnson. Find hours and more information at facebook.com/ thefrenchcottagefayetteville.
WEATHERED GOODS LOWELL
After temporarily closing to relocate, Betsy and Michael Pugh are re-opening their furnishings store Weathered Goods at a new, larger location. Michael originally opened the shop in Fayetteville in 2017 with a focus on his handmade wooden furniture. “I’ve always had a passion for making and building things, and my wife has a passion for home décor,” he says. The new location increases their store size from 2,500 square feet to 4,000, allowing the business to expand their offerings. Shoppers will find a larger selection of furniture, including sectionals, sofas, and chairs, in addition to Weathered Goods’ popular pieces hand-crafted on site from reclaimed wood. Housed in a remodeled church, they will also carry similar lines of gifts and home décor found at their previous location. Weathered Goods plans to re-open its doors by the end of the year at 103 Zion Church St. in Lowell. Visit facebook.com/weatheredgoods for more information and updates.
