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Furniture made of a combination of cherry
and maple wood - such as the mission-style
bed above - is popular these days. The Country
Store also carries quilts and a variety
of home decor. Photo by Randy Hanson
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If you’re one of the many who enjoy wandering
through the aisles of hand-made furniture and home decor
in The Country Store’s barn and outbuildings at
Roberts, you don’t need to drive as far to do
your dreaming anymore.
Two weeks ago, The Country Store opened a second store
in the Carmichael Centre in Hudson.
Owners Cal and Jill Joski are friends of Lon and Brigitte
Feia, developers of the attractive two-story business
condominium building off Carmichael Road between the
Target store and Culver’s restaurant.
The Feias told the Joskis about their plan for the
building a year ago and asked them if they wanted to
be a part of it.
“We thought about it, and thought it would be
such a great location that we would kick ourselves if
we didn’t do it - wondering, what if?” Jill
Joski said while working at the Hudson store last week.
They haven’t been disappointed.
“We’ve had lots of traffic,” Joski
reported on the sixth day the store was open. “We’re
excited about that. There’s lots of interest in
the furniture.”
The furniture attracting all the attention is custom-made
by Amish craftsmen who live mostly in Ohio. The pieces
are solid maple, cherry, oak and other woods. The Joskis
don’t sell anything made of veneer or particle
board.
Customers can order pieces made to their liking, with
the type of wood and stain that they want.
Jill Joski says pieces made of a combination of maple
and cherry are popular currently.
The mission- and Shaker-style furniture offered includes
dining sets, bedroom sets, glider chairs, hutches, entertainment
centers, roll-top and computer desks, office ensembles,
occasional tables and benches. The furniture can be
purchased by piece or by the set.
The store also carries the American Heritage line of
19th century reproduction furniture made in Georgia.
And it offers a large variety of home decor from nearly
400 vendors - lamps, pottery, vases, mirrors, artwork,
quilts, braided rugs and more.
The large and colorful ceramic Christmas creches currently
on display alone are worth a trip to the store.
The Joskis started The Country Store at their hobby
farm on the south side of the Roberts I-94 interchange
seven years ago.
After leaving the insurance business, Cal Joski first
sold Purina pet supplies out of an outbuilding on the
farm. He then began selling things on consignment, which
eventually led to being a retailer for Amish furniture
makers.
“Every year we would add a new building. It just
grew,” said Jill.
The Country Store’s Roberts location will remain
in operation.
The Hudson store is open seven days a week. The hours
are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday.
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