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Date: 1/11/2023
EAST LONGMEADOW – A small, unassuming storefront at 44 Shaker Rd. in East Longmeadow, is home to handmade décor and revamped, one-of-a-kind pieces.
Inside, Autumn Lane Décor is light and airy, with large, framed mirrors hung on the walls and small pieces of furniture lining the room. In the center of the store, a large table with ornate legs holds wooden trays, dripped glass bowls and other bric-a-brac. Hanging above the table are dozens of windchimes and suncatchers made from vintage glassware and crystals salvaged from old chandeliers.
Owners Lori Beston and Judith Cusano met through a mutual friend 15 years ago and found they both have a love of crafting and décor. In 2022, Cusano asked Beston to go into business with her.
“It’s been a dream of mine,” Beston said about owning a décor business. Cusano already had many items ready to be sold, and they created several more. Even the hand-poured resin counter was created by the women. The business opened on Dec. 11, 2022.
“Our opening was great,” Beston said. “Since then, it’s been a little slow.” Cusano noted, “Customers have been very positive.” Beston said the two are trying to build a social media presence for the business.
Cusano said she and Beston work well together because they give one another opinions on projects or push back on each other’s ideas for the shop they do not agree with.
“See that birdhouse there?” Cusano pointed to a blue, wooden, house-shaped box with a large hoop of birdseed on the front. “I love it. She hates it.”
Beston shot back, “I don’t hate it. I just think it’s big and doesn’t belong there.” Cusano said they each provide the other with a better perspective.
Beston said the décor pieces “are just stuff that we find that we do things with.”
When asked why she crafts décor, Cusano, who has a history in the furniture business, said she makes pieces that she would like in her own home. She asked rhetorically, “Why is a baker a baker?”
Despite the small size of the storefront, Beston and Cusano have a large array of items in storage. The two plan to swap out the décor on display depending on the season.
“We hope to never carry the same piece twice,” Beston said. Cusano added that she is always looking for items that can be transformed. “You never know what’s going to pop up in here,” she said.
Beston told Reminder Publishing that it was important to the two women that they use their business to support other local artisans. Currently, Autumn Lane Décor carries items from Wood Wonders, Trixie’s Treasures and The Trunk Works. Beston said the shop receives a commission and the artist sells their goods, making it a beneficial arrangement for all parties. In the same vein, Beston said she and Cusano plan to host pop-up shops for other businesses in the future.
“We have big dreams,” Beston said.