Betsy Kyle holds the sign she will soon mount on her home at 57 Washington St. to welcome customers to her new business, White Pine Home. (Charlotte Boynton photo)
White Pine Home, a new shop for vintage accessories and a variety of other items for the home, will open in Wiscasset on Thursday, May 2.
White Pine Home is at 57 Washington St., behind the Wiscasset municipal building.
The owner, Betsy Kyle, plans a soft opening to begin at 10 a.m. She invites everyone to come in, look at her wares, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with some fresh baked goods.
The business will offer home furnishings, flower arrangements, vintage and antique items, Cavallini paper goods, and Sweet Grass Farm candles, soaps, and lotions.
Kyle will showcase the decor and accessories she used in clients’ homes when she owned and operated Vignette Home Design in Stow, Mass. before moving to Wiscasset.
Kyle is a retired teacher, having taught for 22 years. She refers to herself as a wife and mother, a cancer survivor, a trained chef, and an interior redesign stylist, an art she is anxious to share in her new business. She also describes herself as a curious naturalist and scientist who loves music, books, and all things that grow.
Kyle and her husband, Leo Egan, left the place she had spent most of her life and moved to Wiscasset on April 26, 2018. She immediately became involved in the town.
A new business, White Pine Home, will open at 57 Washington St. in Wiscasset on Thursday, May 2. The building is also the home of shop owner Betsy Kyle and her husband, Leo Egan. (Charlotte Boynton photo)
She began by volunteering at the Wiscasset Public Library, where she reads at story hour every Friday, something she really enjoys. She visits the Wiscasset Community Center to go swimming three times a week.
Until this past week, she worked at Treats on Main Street, making sandwiches. She also belongs to the Women’s Charitable Society, providing help to women in need.
She plans to join the Friends of Wiscasset, a coalition of local businesses and organizations.
Her husband, Egan, is known as the “Reluctant Woodworker.” Some of his work will be available at the new business. His work includes shelving, tables, garden benches, picture frames, floral boxes, and mantles. He is also a musician.
Kyle plans to decorate her shop according to the four seasons of the year, changing the decor with the season. A small space in the shop will be devoted to a Christmas theme year-round.
Her goal is to create a relaxed atmosphere for people to visit with her and with one another.
“I enjoy pretty things and I know other people do as well,” she said. “I welcome them to come in and look around. If they don’t buy anything, that is OK. Come in and enjoy the experience of seeing what is being offered.”
Kyle used a quote from Elsie de Wolfe to describe her ambition in life: “I am going to make everything around me beautiful. That will be my life.” De Wolfe was an American interior decorator and actress who was born in 1859 and died in 1950.
White Pine Home will be open daily from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. during the spring, summer, and fall. Flexible hours are being considered for the winter.
