NORMAN — Life went into high speed once Della Patterson and Rebecca Bean decided to go into business together.
“One day, Della and I looked at each other and said, ‘You want to open a store together?’” Bean said. The next week, the two had filed papers with the city for a business. The next week, they found a location. Within a month, the two were settled into a place at 412 E. Main St. and were putting together displays for their new place of business, which opened June 24.
Stash is a lifestyles store that sells vintage, repurposed and new fair trade items.
Bean said the two knew, going into the business, that the store would have to operate on ideas and principles that matched their own, such as creativity and sustainability.
“We wanted to do something different, something that’s going to work for our community and for us,” Patterson said.
“And the planet,” Bean added.
Keeping with their original idea, Stash features local products such as cutting boards made in Tulsa, T-shirts from Norman companies Headdresses and Big Foot Creative and Pyrex glasses from a deceased University of Oklahoma chemistry professor’s estate sale. They also feature fair-trade purses, dog collars made by women in Kenya and jewelry and coin purses made in Guatemala.
“We’re really looking at communities where there is an indigenous artistic community,” Bean said.
To keep active with the local artistic community, Patterson and Bean plan on being a part of every Second Friday Circuit of Art, displaying the work of a new local artist on their walls each month. They would also like to bring in local musicians to add to the night’s festivities.
Motioning to back doors that expand into an area that doubles the size of their store, Bean explained that they are wanting to provide a platform for local artists and musicians, perhaps even supplying stage space for the Norman Music Festival.
“That’s something we’re really excited about,” Patterson said.
Although Patterson has a family background in entrepreneurship, this is the true first business venture for both women. Both are pleased with how quickly word of mouth about their store has spread in the community and how much fun they’re having.
“Everything we had hoped and anticipated for we got it back times 100,” Patterson said.
Stash is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Aaron Wright Gray 366-3533 pop@normantranscript.com
