Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

Re-Feather Your Nest: Kelly Havens brings repurposed, farmhouse chic to Marysville.

Screenshot 2015-10-30 12.32.11Nestled on a busy street corner in Marysville is a small, studio-sized shop, outside of which is a handwritten chalkboard sign that says, “a snug retreat or refuge; resting place; home.”

That’s the definition of “nest,” which serves as a perfect introduction to Nestegg Interiors, where owner Kelly Havens gives new life to old, rustic items, showcasing her passion for upcycling and repurposing, as well as interior decorating.

Located in a building that was previously an ice cream shop, Nestegg Interiors opened its doors in June and welcomes patrons with a repertoire of refurbished furniture and handmade décor for the home, combining vintage charm with modern trends and conveniences.

“I think what you find a lot of around here at the different gift and home décor shops is true country primitive style,” said the Marysville native, who now calls Mechanicsburg home. “My style is more farmhouse chic.”

Inspired in recent years by the DIY (do-it-yourself) crafting trend, Havens decided to apply her lengthy retail experience to opening a shop that highlights her creative passions.

“I have always wanted to own a business, but I never actually thought it would become a reality,” she explained. “I started refurbishing and refinishing furniture about 2 ½ years ago, and everything seemed to just fall into place.”

She was drawn to re-purposing because she wanted to take items that most people think are trash and make them useful again—especially furniture and larger items.

“You can do something new to it to make it fresh and useful, instead of having it collecting dust,” she explained. “Not to mention it doesn’t end up in a landfill.”

 

Beautiful Pieces

At Nestegg Interiors, visitors can shop for upcycled furniture that is displayed in rotation, such as dressers, side tables, bed frames, ladders for displaying home décor and even vintage furniture repurposed into Lego tables.

But Havens’ favorite piece, and one of the most unique items in her shop, is a chair bench, which she built from two identical chairs.

When I find two chairs that are alike, I get really excited,” she said. “When I turn them into a bench, it looks totally different than the two chairs separately.”

Havens gathers her vintage goods to upcycle from local thrift stores, sometimes an estate sale or even from the side of the road.

“Sometimes, I’ll find something in great shape that someone just couldn’t use anymore,” she said. “A lot of times, what I’ve found are large furniture pieces. People buy them, then get new furniture and don’t want to haul them anywhere, so they put them on the curb. I have found some beautiful pieces.”

She also constructs smaller pieces to accent the home, including cutting boards cleverly turned into tablet or electronic device holders and finished in trendy, modern colors, as well as reclaimed, wood-tiered shelves. Havens also assembles cake plates, serving tiers and candleholders out of vintage china.

In addition to lovely home accents, Nestegg Interiors offers some fun adult beverage-themed items for beer and wine aficionados. Customers will find wooden six-pack beer carriers with their own bottle openers attached to the side. Havens said these are perfect for craft beer lovers who like to shop for build-your-own six packs. She also makes wooden wine bottle carriers and wine racks.

To accompany these items, she even carries some appropriate signage, such as “A meal without wine is breakfast” and “This home runs on love, laughter and bottles of really cold beer.”

 

Good Fit

Havens’ shop displays style and personality that she personally seeks out as a consumer.

“What I have for sale are mostly things I love and things I would put in my own home,” she explained. “A lot of people come to my house and say, ‘I love how you decorate.’ People have told me that interior design would be a good fit for me.”

She has heeded their advice and is now offering interior design services through her shop.

She also features the work of artists and crafters who live in the area. For instance, the shop offers stylish, crocheted items by Marysville resident Elizabeth Bitting, as well as Havens’ father-in-law, who creates some of the wooden pieces on display. While Havens orders some other home décor pieces for her shop, she maintains a mostly local focus.

“When you shop locally at a store, it is run by someone in your community,” she said. “You are supporting the family that owns that business and helping their kids get shoes for their ballet class or their soccer team, instead of paying a big business.”

Nestegg Interiors is located at 101 Valley St. in Marysville. For more information, call 717-957-9222 or visit www.nesteggint.com.

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