Gorham now has another choice when searching for the perfect gift. Upcycle Maine Home Furnishings opened in May at 102 Main St, in the space between Burger King and Goodwill. Visitors to the store will find anything from paintings, jewelry, soaps, and specialty wine glasses to more unique craft pieces that have been reclaimed, repurposed and redesigned.
Owner Stephanie Sands has been refinishing furniture and crafting repurposed items into home decor for about four years. She was originally selling in a couple of local shops and attending craft fairs, but in the summer of 2017, she decided that she’d like to open a space of her own.
With limited business experience, Sands first viewed the retail space in November of 2017. She loved it but thinking of the phrase her mom had ingrained in her, “If it was meant to be it will all work out,” she decided to hold off for the winter and take time to research and make connections with people who could help her start a small business.
At that time, she was attending Southern Maine Community College finishing up her degree in Criminal Justice. She found that SMCC offered many helpful resources in learning the first steps of opening a business. In addition she reached out to SCORE Portland, a nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated to the formation, growth and success of small businesses. There, she found mentors who were able to answer questions and guide her in the direc- tion of starting a successful business.
Sands chose Gorham because of the reasonableness of the overhead and the growth that the town is currently experiencing. “When I met the owners of the building I’m located in, I knew that this was the right spot for me. They were friendly and willing to give my starter business a chance and support me to grow it. For that I’m very grateful.”
Currently, Sands provides a space for about 30 artists and crafters to showcase their work. As a result, there are many different unique home decor and gift items. She also offers custom sign making, custom orders and a furniture refinishing service. Her vendors are located
from New Gloucester to Kennebunk and she takes pride in keeping the shop filled with locally crafted items that support Maine’s small business growth.
Sands believes the items curated for sale in the shop set Upcycle Maine Home Furnishings apart from other shops. In addition, she said the relationships she has developed with other local small businesses such as The Vintage Heart in Gorham and Pumpkin Seed Designs in Westbrook, has further supported the growth of small businesses in the area. These relationships are shown both through referring customers to one another’s shops and also through cross promoting one another via social media platforms.
“My hopes are to get the word out about the shop to the residents of Gorham and surrounding areas and be able to continue to support the 30 vendors that are selling their work for years to come!”
Upcycle Maine Home Furnishings is open Sunday 10-4, Monday 10-4, Thursday 10-6, Friday 10-6 and Saturday 10-6. It is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. To learn more, visit Sands on Facebook & Instagram, email upcyclemaine@gmail.com or call (207) 233-4968.