Happy birthday to us! What a wonderful and adventurous first year it has been. Read on to see what our shop looked like as we began the journey to open Canvas & Paddle and the days leading to our first opening day. We would not be anywhere without our amazing team members and our customers! THANK YOU for one great year. Here's to many, many more.
The beginning stages: Nicole worked closely with local vendor, Matelski Lumber Company, out of Boyne Falls, MI and couldn't have been more pleased with how the pine wood turned out on the walls. The floor are also original wood! The shelves are live edge wood planks for a more rustic feel. The cash wrap was custom built by Nicole and her husband Andrew, while the remaining shelves and displays were found all across the great state of Michigan. It was such a fun process hunting for pieces that made Canvas & Paddle come alive.
We started receiving products and transported them to the shop, the Mackinac way! We have always had an amazing support system. Pictured on left is Andrew, Nicole and Robert - one of our all-time favorite vendors from Peninsulas. On the right is Dori (Nicole's mom) - who always has a smile on and was (and still is!) the best at finding unique pieces for displays for the shop.
Finally we had product and displays in place and were ready for the new season to start! We chose products that felt:
...Rustic enough to survive outside but refined enough to bring in the house
...Elegant, like an elk-antler chandelier
...Comfortable enough to keep you in your pajamas all weekend
...Nostalgic, like your grandparents' cabin
...Tough when you need it to be, delicate when you want it to be
...A faithful companion for long walks in the woods
...The place you miss most
And on May 5, 2017 our doors opened and we never looked back. Thank you again for all the supporters out there! As we celebrate this milestone birthday, we hope you can join us this season. Let's explore together.