Like many businesses born during the pandemic, The Nutmeg Home has a unique backstory.
The store’s owner, Melissa Stelzer, was operating an online business out of her home prior to the pandemic. A seamstress, designer, entrepreneur, and marketing aficionado, Melissa was selling her handmade sewing designs online and dabbled in selling home goods as well. Back then, "hand-sewn garden gnomes were a huge seller among her home decor sales," she says.
When Covid and the resulting mask mandates swept the country early in 2020, she quickly shifted gears and began sewing and selling masks online as well. Her sales went through the roof.
“I started selling masks wholesale to other sellers, and I was getting so many orders, 50 at a time, I could barely keep up with the demand. That’s what funded all of this--gnomes and masks.”
“This” is Stelzer’s home goods and decor shop, The Nutmeg Home, located in the heart of historic Old Wethersfield, at 165 Main Street. Melissa opened the shop in November of 2020.
The bright store flowing with natural light from large front windows and located on the first floor of an old house, reflects Melissa’s design aesthetic: whites and neutrals, understated elegance, as well as comfortable and uncomplicated design elements.
“I would describe my aesthetic as clean, neutral, a kind of French country cottage with a modern edge,” she adds. She has a reputation of carrying unique home decor at a reasonable price that can fit any style.
The Nutmeg Home sells home furnishings and decor, as well as gifts, including jewelry, hand-made soaps, paintings and prints, baskets, and a few clothing items. Additionally, this shop is probably best known for unique seasonal products, locally made dough bowl candles, and real-touch florals.
Melissa says she tries to offer American-made goods as much as possible, including a line of locally-made, seasonal candles that carry the store’s brand.
“They’re made by my parents!”
The store’s offerings change with the seasons, and Melissa says she tries to stay tuned in to current trends and influencers as much as possible, while still staying true to products that can work with any home.
The Nutmeg Home
165 Main St., Old Wethersfield
Email: TheNutmegHome@gmail.com
Online: TheNutmegHome.com
On Social: @TheNutmegHome
