When Amanda Watters began blogging a decade ago with recipes and décor and crafting ideas, she had no idea it would lead her to start her own business that is now known as Homesong Market.
“Over the years of writing, I started getting this itch to have a shop of my own—a home goods store,” she says.
Watters knew she wanted to focus on beauty, simplicity and sustainability, but she didn’t know where that was going to lead. After getting some inspiration from a trip to Paris, she opened her online store in November 2019.
She started working out of her home with about 10 vendors, and it grew from there. When she could no longer contain everything in her home, she searched for a physical location and found a place in Brookside. The store opened in the middle of 2020 shortly after the end of the stay-at-home orders, and Watters says it gives an ambiance that evokes a calming sense of home.
“I can’t imagine opening a store anywhere else,” she says. “Despite all the craziness this year, there has been a lot of amazing blessings as well because of the neighborhood we are in.”
Watters says her goal is for all her products to embody those ideas of beauty, sustainability, and simplicity. Many of the products she sells are made from wood or natural materials, and she says she is also drawn to natural fibers, raw wood products and linens, all of which are in line with simplicity and sustainability.
Additionally, she focuses on sustainability by working with various farms, avoiding plastics, and not sourcing materials from China. She has found sourcing of the products and finding the right vendors is critical.
“It’s about finding a company that shares the same philosophy that we do,” she says.
Watters says focusing on beauty in the home is particularly important now given that our homes have become our primary domains during the past year.
“Our homes are where we spend the majority of our lives, especially now,” she says. “To be in a space that makes you feel uplifted, inspired and good is important.”
As many of her product offerings are seasonal, Watters says she is always looking at how she can best celebrate each season with products. Some of her most popular offerings are handwoven baskets, French soaps, cleaning tools and candles. Beeswax is found throughout the store as well.
Both the online and physical store are broken down by rooms that include cleaning, laundry, children’s products, kitchen and dining, gardening and outdoor living, organization, crafting, and bath.
Watters and her team also have a full year of workshops planned for customers that they plan to hold when it is safe to host such events again. The topics include broom making, candle making, cleaning solutions, beauty products, potholders and more. These workshops will give customers the opportunity to work with local artisans and hear from their expertise.
She hopes to keep a small-town feel to the business and adds that they even put love into their shipping with sustainable wrapping and writing notes to customers.
Overall, Watters says the level of intention they put into everything makes the business unique.
