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Marion Hayden opened Home on Main, a home decor shop, in the former Annie Selkie store she'd managed for years.
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Hayden loves botanicals, which influenced the store's atmosphere, a passion that also goes into selections for her store.
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Her curated selections include children's decor.
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Hayden says the response has been good since opening in January and she hopes to add tutorials like flower arranging and table-top setting.

Lenox Home Decor Shop Offers Design Ideas, Annie Selke Products

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
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The Albert & Dash rug library is still available and Hayden can order rugs and Pine Cone Hill items. 

LENOX, Mass. — The former Annie Selke store on Main Street is now Home on Main, another home decor venture.

"I had previously worked for seven years as on-site manager at Annie Selke and loved my job and got to know and develop relationships with a lot of the customers," said owner Marion Hayden.

The Annie Selke store closed in October, and once Hayden saw how disappointed people were, she decided to start her own store.

"There was just a feeling that I had that it was the right thing to do, to continue the store and I couldn't shake it," she said.

Hayden opened in January and said she's had a lot of support from the community.

"I've had very good comments and people just stopping in to say we're so glad you're open has been a recurring theme but I only expect that to continue as the season opens," she said.

Hayden attended the New York School of Interior Design and was inspired to open a store of her own one day.

"I've always been interested in design. That's why I loved working here because I just really enjoyed being around textures and home decor and fabrics and just anything to do tactile with the home," she said.

"I'm really excited. I just spoke with a sales rep to bring in a few new lines that are very new to the Berkshires that aren't anywhere else."

She also wants to offer in-store tutorials such as flower arranging, tabletop ideas, and more to involve the community.

Some advice she would give someone who may be wanting to start their own venture like this would be to do it when it feels right.

"There's never a perfect time but when you have that feeling that now is it, jump on it and just don't look back and just do it, it sounds easier said than done but a few years back I couldn't imagine myself doing that but it just seemed that everything just came together," Hayden said.

She would like people to know that she is always willing to help customers with their interior design ideas and loves to help them find what could look best in their home.

She also wants to make sure that people know that her store still has the showroom and that they can still order the same Annie Selke products.

"They can still order Pine cone Hill products and Dash and Albert through here," said Hayden, adding "I've kept the [rug] library up to date, people can still take out rug samples and I match any promotion that's currently online."

Home on Main is located at 36 Main St. and can be followed on Instagram at Homeonmain36. The store is open Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.


Tags: new business,   design,   home & garden,   

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Pittsfield Housing Project Adds 37 Supportive Units and Collective Hope

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A new chapter in local efforts to combat housing insecurity officially began as community leaders and residents gathered at The First on to celebrate a major expansion of supportive housing in the city.

The ribbon was cut on Thursday Dec. 19, on nearly 40 supportive permanent housing units; nine at The First, located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street.  The Housing Resource Center, funded by Pittsfield's American Rescue Plan Act dollars, hosted a celebration for a project that is named for its rarity: The First. 

"What got us here today is the power of community working in partnership and with a shared purpose," Hearthway CEO Eileen Peltier said. 

In addition to the 28 studio units at 111 West Housatonic Street and nine units in the rear of the church building, the Housing Resource Center will be open seven days a week with two lounges, a classroom, a laundry room, a bathroom, and lockers. 

Erin Forbush, ServiceNet's director of shelter and housing, challenged attendees to transform the space in the basement of Zion Lutheran Church into a community center.  It is planned to operate from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. year-round.

"I get calls from folks that want to help out, and our shelters just aren't the right spaces to be able to do that. The First will be that space that we can all come together and work for the betterment of our community," Forbush said. 

"…I am a true believer that things evolve, and things here will evolve with the people that are utilizing it." 

Earlier that day, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus joined Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and her team in Housatonic to announce $33.5 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funding, $5.45 million to Berkshire County. 

He said it was ambitious to take on these two projects at once, but it will move the needle.  The EOHLC contributed more than $7.8 million in subsidies and $3.4 million in low-income housing tax credit equity for the West Housatonic Street build, and $1.6 million in ARPA funds for the First Street apartments.

"We're trying to get people out of shelter and off the streets, but we know there are a lot of people who are couch surfing, who are living in their cars, who are one paycheck away from being homeless themselves," Augustus said. 

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