Bustling Barnard Castle has another attraction on the high street with the opening of Freja’s Home.
The boutique, at 27 The Bank, grew out of Fleur Sanderson’s established online outlet, and now it’s bringing a carefully curated range of Nordic-inspired homeware to its first bricks-and-mortar shop. For Ms Sanderson, it’s a great chance to be a part of the Barney retail revival.
“We have a great community of independent retailers here,” she said. “From day one, we were delighted with the atmosphere and how many people were interested in seeing what was happening.
“And there is a lot of support from other retailers. People understand that the more there is to come and see, the more people think it’s worthwhile to come and visit the town.”
In a town with an impressive range of local producers, Freja’s Home offers an international accent that complements the offer well.
“There are so many established shops with their own personality, and I didn’t want to risk diluting that,” she said. “So I wanted quite a distinctive look and feel to it.
“I think it goes well alongside the other businesses on The Bank. You have somewhere like Teesdale Alpacas with that very local pop-up shop. Then you have a range like this, which is a reflection of my travels and things that I’m passionate about.”
While the vibe is Nordic, the stock also includes UK brands including the best-selling ceramics that have been popular since opening. And getting back to in-person sales is also a big hit.
“I just missed the interaction with the customers,” added Ms Sanderson. “It’s lovely to have a small boutique where we can talk about each product and its background.
“Everything here has a story, it’s not something mass-produced and sold online.
“There are people behind all this, working really hard to make them.
“It’s nice to share that and people like to hear more about it. It makes it an experience, not just clicking on a screen.”
