Since opening up The Northern Belle Mercantile booth earlier this year, I've received a lot of questions about my mini business venture & though there have been a lot of changes including a move into a new location - I wanted to compile all the questions I've received & answer them all here!
NB Mercantile FAQ's
Where is The Northern Belle Mercantile booth located?
The Northern Mercantile is located inside a small 10x16 she shed at 2807 Bent Oak Hwy, Adrian MI aka - my home!
“When is The Northern Belle Mercantile open?”
The plan is to host a monthly market for the NB Mercantile! Market weekends will be announced in advance on all my social media channels & the markets will be hosted on Saturday from 10AM-4PM & Sunday 11AM-3PM with the hours. Towards the holidays, I do plan to be open a few more weekends than just one, but that's to be determined yet. If you want to stay up to date on news with The Northern Belle Mercantile - be sure to follow me on Instagram @mrsnorthernbelle // @thenorthernbellemercantile or on Facebook Mrs.Northern Belle
“Do you ship?”
I do not ship items, however if you a see a small piece you have to have - please inquire! It never hurts to ask! We can always look into the cost of shipping! I cannot ship furniture pieces though.
“Are your items remakes or vintage?”
I have a mix of both - some newer style decor, but usually a lot of vintage. I've spent my summer & free time sourcing the best vintage goodies I can find to bring it to you all & hopefully your home! A lot of it things I put in the NB Mercantile are things I wish I could fit in my own home & love, but the hubby forces me to get rid of 🥵 so if you like my style - you'll love everything in my booth! With furniture - my husband does make faux fireplaces from new wood, but majority of the furniture is old antique furniture refurbished. I usually only refurbish furniture if the original finish is beyond gone - meaning it HAS to be painted in order to look good. I'm a firm believer in leaving good condition antiques in their original state if possible.
I also do make some handmade crafts too that get included into the mercantile!
”What type of home style items do you sell in your mercantile market?”
A lot of my style is very cozy shabby chic / vintage / french country style - aka my personal style. However, I do plan to play around with different styles in the future such as boho farmhouse, nautical, etc. Stay tuned for that tho :)
“Do you paint furniture by request or order?”
Because I am very amateur at painting - I do not paint personal pieces for customers. This meaning - if you were to have a dresser & ask me to paint it for you as a paid service - I would politely decline. This is only because I do not feel comfortable taking someones personal piece in case my painting messed it up or it didn't look the way they wanted it to. I only paint the furniture I have & put in my market when it's finished & available. I do not repaint furniture pieces that have already been painted in the market either. Majority of the furniture in my booth is black, grey, white, green or taupe. I love cozy neutrals so that's mostly what you'll see!
“Can I order a faux fireplace?”
Yes, faux fireplaces handmade by husband can be ordered. Full payment is required upon ordering & it takes approx 3 weeks - usually they get done much sooner, but we allow the 3 weeks for wiggle room depending on order volume.
“Can you hold items?”
During monthly market weekends I am not able to hold items. All items are first come, first serve & for pick up only. However, you can secure an item by paying via PayPal or Venmo
“How often do new items get added o the NB Mercantile?”
FREQUENTLY. I try to keep up on social media & post as I restock, but life gets too busy sometimes. However, always check back because I am constantly adding new items. Plus changing things out as the seasons come & go!
“What made you move to a she shed?”
My hubby & I work full time jobs in addition to running the mercantile, so we've been loading up furniture, running it into town & spending a lot of late nights restocking. It became very exhausting & difficult to keep up with on top of many other factors. It made more sense for our marriage, time, finances and capabilities to bring the mercantile closer to home ...literally. Now I am able to keep up with it better and as pieces come in - I'm able to stock the she shed with them immediately instead of having it pile up in my kitchen
“Details on how your she shed came together?”
All the details on how the she shed came together to be able to house The Northern Belle Mercantile will be featured in a blog post soon!
“Are your prices expensive?”
I try to keep my prices at what I would pay for the item - therefore not very high or overly expensive! I shop for antiques a lot to keep myself updated with the demands, but also to price compare to be fair, but competitive as well. I'm not Pottery Barn, therefore I do no over price my items! If you see a piece you like - reach out to me & I can let you know the price! I try to be as reasonable as possible though!
“Do you offer interior design services?”
Probably the most frequently asked question I get ^ a lot & the answer is - Yes!! I have had a few clients under my belt to test it out & I do offer interior design services! Now, I am not an expert like Joanna Gaines, but for a small fee we can meet in person [or virtually!] - to discuss the style or look you're trying to achieve & I will help you to put it all together as well as do some shopping for you to find the perfect pieces to match your home! My interior design services focus on utilizing a space as it is without having to demo it out! I try to focus on achievable goals in a space that are affordable & don't require intense renovations. You'd be surprised at how much you can change a space without a ton of effort! I don't just stick to one style either! I can do modern farmhouse, boho style, modern glam, rustic glam, lodge style - you name it I can help you achieve it! While my style is very french country - I love branching out creatively to other styles!
Interested in my interior design service? Send me an email at mrsnorthernbellebudget@gmail.com & we can talk! 😊
“Do you collaborate with other bloggers or companies?”
I would love to do more collaborations & have done some in the past! If you want to collaborate - feel free to email me! I'm always open to new ideas to engage in this community!
That's all the questions I could round up for now folks! If you have more - please do not hesitate! I love answering all your questions whether it's about the Norther Belle Mercantile booth or about my own personal life as Mrs. Northern Belle 😘 Always feel free to reach out to chat! Thanks for reading!
XOXOXO
Mrs. Northern Belle
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