With all this talk of being green, there is few of us that actually do it. So I find it intriguing when someone’s entire business utilizes cast off materials.
That is what Linda Shannon of Cottage Collages off of Hwy 79 in Panama City Beach does every day. And she is not the only one, many local craftsmen and artisans are taking to using reclaimed wood and fabrics to turn the ordinary into something extraordinary….trash to treasure.
“I take things that are normally cast aside, broken furniture, excess wood….and I turn them into something useful”, the longtime resident, Mrs. Shannon says.
I find Linda refreshing because in a day and age full of ordering off Pottery Barn and IKEA online, here is a hardworking women that uses her creative resourcefulness to turn out one of a kind pieces of furniture for area residents at affordable prices, and all with a spirit of gratitude.
“I feel very blessed to do what I do, I get to do something I love, not everyone can say that”, Linda says to me when she is talking about her work.
When I asked what her favorite materials are, she said she loved it all, but utilizes reclaimed wood most of the time. Aged Pine and driftwood are very popular materials favored by many of her customers right now as the rustic, coastal look is very popular, especially along Hwy 30A.
“I started this by accident” she says, “many years ago as a hardworking mom, I did not have the money for pretty things for my house, so I just found a way to make my own….then I realized I liked it”, Shannon, owner of Cottage Collages says. She said her favorite part of her work, is the transformation process of it, turning “nothing into something.”
We are so glad for her happy accident inspired by her resourcefulness over two decades ago, for it developed into a niche that supplies us with beautiful and yet functional pieces, some you can see in Peaches to Beaches on Back Beach Road near the Fire Station just West of Hwy 79, and if you are in Walton County…..Retail Therapy (where Scavengers was) off of Hwy 98.
Cottage Collages, not unlike many other local artisans, likes to support local craft fairs and artist markets, often times choosing events that are fundraising for a cause, rather it be a domestic violence shelter or an animal shelter, she often tithes a percentage of her earnings back to the cause.
For example, you can see her work next weekend at the ” 2nd Annual Share the Shelter Music Fest” on Sept. 29th in Gulf Place benefiting Shelter House and Alaqua Animal Refuge.
Other upcoming shows:
Oct 19th and Oct 20th @ the Angel’s Garden in Pensacola
Oct 27th @ Harvest Market in Rosemary Beach
And Saturday, November 3rd she is back on Panama City Beach, at the 2nd Annual “Celebrate the Arts” co-hosted by Cerulean Interiors and Beachy Beach Real Estate. The intimate local artists market is an avenue to provide monetary support for Beach Care Services, an organization that helps Bay County families in need.
PCBDaily 