Folk and Co. Feather Road Studios Grounded Village

from Edition No.6 ~ Scenic Road Magazine 2021

Grace your space

Starting three small businesses in four years... If that sounds crazy, it probably was and still is.

However, Ami and Nadine who started out as coffee play date friends, are truly an inspiring pair. Upon meeting these two chalk and cheese gals, it becomes clear – they both enjoy a good laugh, are up for a challenge and are all about setting the bar high.

NADINE “We used to have coffee here at Cusack Lane, our favourite spot and had mentioned a couple of times how amazing it would be to actually create a few little shops and businesses around this beautiful café atmosphere.

Then Ami rang me one afternoon after picking the kids up and said “that space on the corner near the café is suddenly empty." We literally in the space of two minutes went that’s it, it’s happening let’s do it and she rang the owner, (we are both big universe people and believe in signs). We then gave ourselves six weeks to pull everything off and here we are.

In that short amount of time, their beautiful homewares store Feather Road Studios was born. Fast forward two years on and another shop space became available on the other side of the café – the ladies once again found themselves going with fate, and in 2019 their boutique Folk and Co. swung open its doors.

Now it can be said, that both stores offer customers a shopping experience rarely seen in this neck of the woods. For those who are yet to visit their boutiques on Cusack Lane, we can confirm the girls' style rivals that of a trendy Byron Bay or James Street Burleigh boutique. But don’t worry, their business savvy instincts see items well priced and products you won’t find anywhere else in the local vicinity, (or Queensland for that matter).

Nadine, who always wanted to own her business after forging a career in corporate retail, remembers playing shops with her Grandma’s tins out of her cupboards when she was just a little girl.

And Ami says she grew up helping her mother in the kitchen of their café. Her whole life she watched her mother run her own business, ranging from cafes to gourmet delis and clothing brands. It’s no surprise to see these ladies thriving in their boutique shop environments and building quite literally a village community atmosphere. Feather Road Studios was to have retail and offer creative workshops for kids and adults, as we both have children that learn differently and believe that creativity of any sort is really important for children’s development and growth as a person. The workshops were always popular and then Covid hit and workshops stopped and the retail side expanded. We had always ear marked this basement area under the building for something one day and here was that one day. Grounded Village was born, the new hub of creativity, events and whatever else our customers want to use the space for.”

So how do this energetic pair, both with their own families and homes to run, unwind and check out of work life…

NADINE “I’m laughing because I actually don’t know how to check out. I’m shocking. My brain often wanders and thinks about work even when I am not here. I think it’s mainly because I find myself constantly inspired no matter what I am doing. I do like to chill at home, but I also love adventuring outdoors in this amazing region. Doing things with family and friends is most important – along with a good cocktail."

AMI “I try to ride my horse a few days a week, even if it’s only brief. My partner and I are very lucky to have the same day off through the week so we make sure we use this time to do something together. We head down the beach, go for hikes in the mountains around here or long lunches and picnics are always good. I make time to be out in Nature and explore the hidden gems of our region (that’s why we love your mag ha ha). And I love to cook, especially for those I love, our children and my family."