Pine Cone Hill uses high-quality cotton in a luxurious bedding line. In the kitchen area, Carpenter touts the virtues of Vietri tableware, which is from a village in Italy. Pieces are microwave-safe, with lead-free glazes and beautiful hand-painted Italian scenes. Swiss Diamond pans have superb heat transfer and are user friendly. Spa and bath products keep up with the times as more and more people covet a selfsoothing indulgence in their own homes. The store’s beautiful bath department features attractive lines like the local Elmore Mountain Farm skin products and Ursa Major for men, and the biodynamically farmed-in-Australia skin care products by Jurlique. Other home décor items include pillows, ceramics, rugs, and various objets d’art. Shoppers can easily be partnered with home decorating services and free installation services for bedding purchased at the store.
Branching out Beginning in July, Carpenter will open a stand-alone store featuring Kringle Candles in the retail space adjacent to her Mountain Road store. The soy-based candles from the Massachusetts company (formerly Yankee Candle) burn clean and have a myriad of scents, all presented with an appealing aesthetic. Carpenter says, “Success in retail only comes if you’re willing to change.” How does she know what direction to go in? “We listen to our customers,” she says. At Stowe Kitchen Bath and Linens, “People will come in, look around, and say ‘I love your store,’ and I will say immediately, ‘It’s not my store. It’s your store.’” Maybe it’s both. Carpenter says she is honored to be doing what she was born to do, and it shows.
Stowe Kitchen Bath and Linens 1813 Mountain Road Stowe, VT (800) 244-6813 www.stowekitchen.net Open daily from 9:30am to 5:30pm www.bestofcentralvt.com
61