Dutchmans, known for its colorful furniture and custom designs, has opened a 18,000-square-foot showroom in the Merinos complex at 500 S. Main Street in Mooresville. This is the third Dutchmans store, joining locations in Highlands, North Carolina and St. Simons, Georgia.
Reflecting the tastes of its owner, furniture designer Stephanie Nieuwendijk, Dutchmans features furniture, accessories and lighting for casual living, with a focus on flair and originality. "Our goal is for people to get real enjoyment from their furniture and to create rooms they love to be in," she says.
Signature lines include hand-crafted mahogany tables, dressers, desks and other pieces from The Bramble Company, for which Nieuwendijk is the designer. Celebrity fans of The Bramble Company include Kenney Chesney and Kirstie Alley.
Shoppers who enjoy "classic with a twist" style will like Nieuwendijk's designs for her new label, Bloom. Bloom features repurposed items, including light fixtures made from woks, planters made from tires, and rustic metal tabletops made from tin roofs.
Other offerings at Dutchmans include hand-painted furniture from Steven Shell and upholstery, sofas and chairs from Rowe Furniture and Robin Bruce. The Bramble, Bloom and Steven Shell lines are all produced at The Bramble Company's production facility in Indonesia, giving shoppers the ability to customize their purchases by color and style. The furniture is crafted , painted and screen printed all by hand.
Nieuwendijk, born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, came to the United States in 1998 with $450 in her bank account. She showed her flower and furniture crafts at shows and earned enough to open a tiny Highlands shop in March 2000. That shop later moved to a much bigger space, and the St. Simons store opened in 2008.
Nieuwendijk draws her inspiration from her parents, who both love color in their everyday lives. Her dad was a painter and builder who also restored antiques.
Browse www.dutchmansdesigns.com to enjoy highlights of what Dutchmans offers. Environmentally conscious since its founding, The Bramble co has planted more than 500,000 trees over the past five years to replace trees used in its furniture.
