At 125 East River Road in Rumson, NJ, Donna and Tom Bain have created a unique and eclectic marketplace for outdoor decor and furnishings. Their shop, Bain’s Outdoor Living, offers countless lines of outdoor furniture, accessories and gifts (nearly all American-made by small businesses), and is a partner store with Maine-based Walpole Outdoors for custom pieces such as pergolas and fences.
How did you and your husband develop your taste and enthusiasm for outdoor decor, as well as your thriving business?
As homeowners, we love to entertain outdoors and decided that when our youngest went off to college, we wanted to open a business together. Our first business was a small gardening and floral business – along the lines of statuaries, birdhouses, weather vanes, etc. We had planters, plantings and even a small gift area.
When we purchased this building and moved to our current location, we expanded our product lines and got into outdoor furniture and furnishings. We’ve been here three years, and each year we try to expand what we carry a little bit more.
Quality is our utmost concern. We like to work with “Made in America” products, and we like to deal mostly with small businesses because there’s real people to talk to and develop a relationship with. As far as style goes, I like to mix it up. The vignettes in the store reflect classic, coastal and rustic.
This year we are proud to introduce the JANUS et Cie Line of outdoor furniture and furnishings.
What are some of your most popular products?
Lately, pieces made with gray-washed teak are very popular, as well as pieces made from all-weather wicker. Of course, when certain pieces increase in popularity, so do their accompanying accessories, such as cushions and poufs. Awnings are growing in popularity, and we’re even seeing a trend toward using outdoor fabrics, such as those for umbrellas, in interior decorating because the colors are often bold and the fabrics very durable.
You have a relationship with Walpole Outdoors, so how are you involved in a customer’s design process when installing larger Walpole products? What are some of Walpole’s popular pieces?
We are a Walpole Outdoors partner store, so we feature their products and can help customers through the process of acquiring a custom-designed piece. We encourage them to use photographs to visually represent what they’d like, and then take their design from there. At this time of year, Walpole pergolas are popular as people get ready for the warmer season. Of course, fences, arbors, bird houses and weather vanes are always in high demand.
People start to plan their outdoor spaces as early as the 2nd week in February. Everyone wants their backyard ready by Memorial Day, so February is a good time to start thinking about it, especially to allow plenty of time for the design process and potential shipping times. It could take a customers a few visits to figure out what works best on their patios or decks, and then they have to decide on all the options.
What are your own outdoor spaces like?
We have a patio, and dining tables and deep seating areas are among our top spaces. We also have a little balcony setting with lounge chairs and an end table in between.
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