1. When Chelsea Smith couldn't find an extra-long wooden picture
ledge to buy, her husband — welder/fabricator and woodworking
whiz Dan Montgomery — made one for her. When she wanted the
perfect console to fit behind their couch, he made that, too. As an
entrepreneurial MBA candidate, Smith heard opportunity knocking.
So in 2020, the couple established 26&7 Company (named for their
location near St. Francois Xavier on Hwy. 26 and their blended family
of seven), and went into making and marketing affordable handcrafted
furniture and decor pieces full-time.
Using a variety of woods and stains, Montgomery builds shelf ladders,
consoles, coffee tables, benches, kitchen tables and more, while Smith
takes care of business. Order items such as floating picture ledges
($24-$36) and a petite Prairie stool ($50) at Goodlocal.ca or choose from
a full range of goods and custom options at 267company.ca.
2. Amina Haswell bought a handmade broom 11 years
ago and was soon swept up in the art of broom-
making. Today, the owner of Prairie Breeze Folk Arts
Studio is a professional broomsquire, crafting dozens
of varieties of brooms, brushes and whisks in more
than 40 colours.
Haswell uses unprocessed broom corn, some of which
is grown on her own property, and she goes foraging
in forests across Manitoba to find sticks for many of
her broom handles. Her wares range from a small
low-cost ornamental whisk to beautiful — and useful
— brushes and brooms in the $30-$60 range, up to
higher-end showpieces. With a workshop in Balmoral
and a studio in Wolseley, she also teaches and stocks
other homewares. Start shopping on the Prairie Breeze
website (prairiebreezefolkartsstudio.com) or at the
Manitoba Made Here store (madeheremb.com).
SPRING IS RIGHT AROUND THE
CORNER AND WE'RE READY
TO SHAKE OFF THE WINTER
COBWEBS AND REFRESH
OUR WELL LIVED-IN SPACES.
SWAPPING OUT CUSHIONS
AND BED LINENS IS A GOOD
START, BUT THIS YEAR, WE
WANT TO FEATHER OUR NESTS
WITH A FEW SPECIAL ITEMS, SO
WE'RE TURNING TO MANITOBA
MAKERS FOR HANDCRAFTED
ADDITIONS TO HOME,
SWEET HOME.
Compiled by Pat St. Germain
fun, fanciful
& functional
FINDS
the
GOODS
1
2
90 Parade of Homes SPRING 2022
