Carolyn Herrick wants everyone’s home to be as cozy as her childhood house in Bow, where her mom created a perpetually warm atmosphere for guests with candles burning, music playing, and a space that felt welcoming.
As a child, her mom called her a “homebody,” because she was always happy to stay in and rearrange her own small bedroom. Now that’s the name of the new home goods and baby boutique store she opened on 134 North Main Street this October.
“My mom was always really into hosting.” she said. “It was through that I developed a love for decorating and just creating spaces that make you feel good, comfortable and warm.”
Herrick, who grew up in Bow alongside her high-school sweetheart-turned-husband Cody, describes herself as introverted and risk-averse. The couple, both 27, were in the same kindergarten class, and they stayed together while attending separate colleges before getting married.
Although she had always had dreams of opening her own store, Herrick decided to take a more practical route. She studied math and science and worked as a mechanical engineer for five years after graduating from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Then Cody’s mother died from breast cancer three years ago. That was a wake-up call for the couple that life was too short to stay on a safe path.
“That’s what gave me the courage to be like, you know what, let’s try it,” Herrick said. “What’s the worst thing that could happen?”
She secured the lease on the North Main Street location in May, but waited until fall to open so she could to complete a project at her job and go on a trip with her parents for their wedding anniversary.
Not everyone was supportive – some of her former coworkers questioned why she was leaving a stable engineering job for “retail,” as they called it. Herrick prefers to call the endeavor “entrepreneurship.”
But her close-knit family has stepped up to make Herrick’s dream a reality. She has two older siblings, one who lives within walking distance and runs the store’s social media, which includes shoving shy Herrick into the camera frame when necessary.
Her eldest sister is a pediatrician in Boston who is Herrick’s “biggest customer,” her mom painted the shop door, and her uncles have done some of the literal heavy lifting.
Herrick’s husband has also helped keep track of the numbers involved with opening a store. “Cody’s the everything guy, the coffee guy, the picks-up heavy things guy, the finance guy, the inventory guy,” Herrick said.
The store is arranged into different rooms, with products arranged by theme, including a kitchen, dining room, living room, office and nursery.
Herrick was inspired to include baby items after struggling to find unique gifts for her nephew Archie, who just turned one, and her eldest sister’s baby, born in May.
For Archie’s first birthday, she gave him new bibs, including one sold in the store that catches loose food in the bottom. “We call the bib the ‘trough’ because it collects everything,” she said. Lettering across the bib reads “HUNK.”
“I think we came across a lot of really cool brands that I haven’t been able to find locally that I’ve only been able to buy online, so I think that was part of it, Concord needs a place so you can get some of these new cool brands,” Herrick said.
Homebody’s pillows, soaps, candles and other items – intended for locals to buy to use in their homes rather than as trinkets for tourists – rest on antique furniture, including her great-grandmother’s 1906 Hoosier cabinet. There’s another antique hanger that also comes from her great-grandparents’ camp, giving a sentimental touch to the store’s presentation.
Homebody’s grand opening was Oct. 2. Herrick has plans for raffles and giveaways to entice new customers, and an upcoming signing with the author of a party planning book.
Although the first few weeks will be fall-themed, Herrick is already looking ahead to the winter holiday season.
“We have really exciting Christmas stuff coming up,” she said, including decorations and gifts. “Gift gifting is like one of my passions and I always have a hard time finding things. I’m excited to hopefully be a good spot for that too.”