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John and Pam Anderson were ready for a bigger space almost from the first day they purchased Cottage Gifts in Lindstrom.

Two years of planning finally paid off in a new building for the business, when Cottage Gifts opened the evening of the last Ladies Night Out in Lindstrom, Oct. 21.

John said it was kind of like when someone comes to your house and you simply put all of your mess in the closet. “We barely made it to open around 5 p.m. that night,” he said.

The Andersons purchased Cottage Gifts in Jan. 2001 and that spring were able to expand the business into the retail space next door.

A year later, they were looking for something even bigger and focused on the vacant lot where their building now sits.

Millcon Construction handled the work of building the new retail space next to the Swedish Inn on Lake Blvd. in downtown Lindstrom. Construction started in May of this year.

The couple have spent many long nights getting the new space ready for customers and working on the two other areas of retail space inside the building. The new building offers nearly triple the square footage more than the previous Cottage Gifts location.

John spent hours painting every metal cross beam and duct on the ceiling, while a crew of friends helped with the bright color scheme on the walls.

While there is still some unpacking to do, Cottage Gifts is officially up and running. So is A Payne in the Glass, a small business with an entrance in the back of Cottage Gifts. Owner Wendy McDonald handcrafts glass beads and jewelry in the space which serves as both a storefront and a studio for her craft.

The other business in the building, Stonehouse Antiques, is set to open later this month. John said several quality dealers are moving their items in daily and will be ready to open their doors soon.

Cottage Gifts offers giftware for every taste and also has home decor items in shabby chic, French and European country styles. Stationary, greeting cards, seasonal items including a large Christmas selection, whimsical pieces and bath and body items are also available.

They offer natural, plant-based products from Burt’s Bees and Archive in the bath and body section.

John said they know that people miss having a year-round Christmas store in town. “We might try a permanent Christmas display,” he said.

The store also offers Scandinavian gifts and costume jewelry.

“We have over 280 different vendor lines now,” John said.

In their first month since opening at the new location, customer feedback has been very positive. “Everyone is excited to have us back and we appreciate the support,” John said.

Soon it will be easier to find the new Cottage Gifts location – when the exterior sign is finally installed. John said it took him a little while to come up with the perfect design for the sign, but he hopes to have it installed by mid-December.

An open house is planned for Saturday, Nov. 20 to re-introduce the business to the area. It will feature complimentary refreshments and door prizes for customers. John said they are planning an official grand reopening for sometime in January.

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