SAWDUST & SAGE

Hello everyone! Our names are Karen & Tyler, and our business is Sawdust & Sage. We started our business in 2017 when we moved back to North Carolina from the Bay Area of California. I was always an artistic person and Tyler was a budding carpenter wanting to build things, so it was a natural next step for us to start a business together. He was 20 years old and was extremely interested in developing better skills needed for a career in construction. As homeschoolers, we always focused on what we were good at and what he loved, so this was it!

We sell wood items for the home and garden. Mostly furniture and decorative items, but we can do special orders as well. A lot of the wood we use is pallet wood because we love the idea of repurposing wood that people throw away. For example, our planters are made totally from repurposed pallets and take about 4 hours to make each one. We go from breaking down the pallets, to milling the wood, construction, sanding and staining, then attaching hardware. They are quite an endeavor, but we want them to be beautiful and last for years. We both work full time at our company, and many times way more than 40 hours a week!

We are from Charlotte, NC. We moved here after my job promotion took us out to California. After a few years, we grew homesick for our southern life and family. Professionally, I was a training executive, manager, and makeup artist in the cosmetics industry. I truly valued each person’s uniqueness and individuality, which helped to make people feel good, therefore gaining success for me and empowerment for them. Personally, that empathetic approach to others has carried over into our lives as life-long learners and cheerleaders to all. 

One thing I say often is do what you love and love what you do! Tyler and I love to learn so we are always coming up with new ideas and trying them out. We love our dog Gracie. She is our Pitbull/Boxer mix, and she is spoiled rotten. We rescued her and as our shop dog, she is very mischievous and always sneaking a piece of wood and chewing it to bits! 

We love to work in our yard and garden, just being outside in general is preferred to being inside. We have a large backyard garden that Tyler built an arbor and fence around a couple years ago out of pallet wood. We grow all kinds of vegetables and flowers, beans, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers, herbs, etc. Did you know it takes about 150 Roma tomatoes to make 6 quarts of spaghetti sauce??? You will hear us for sure because we like music A LOT! Our favorite is hard rock music, and we play it loud - like you are supposed to! Tyler had no choice, but he loves all kinds of music and plays the guitar. I was in my 20s in the late 80s early 90s. I’m a big fan of 80s music, hairbands included, and I’ve got the pictures to prove it. 

Our favorite food is something I make at home! Something grilled and veggies from the garden. (Oh, and probably a good pinot from the Russian River Valley-Sonoma, CA.) That was always a favorite vacay spot in CA. The rocky beautiful coastline and redwoods!

My favorite quote is by Alan Cohen: 

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.

We love The Community Marketplace because it is close to home, outside, and the vendors and other people we meet there are so friendly.

Come out and see us Saturdays, we would love to meet you and help you become part of the Sawdust & Sage Family!

Karen, Sawdust & Sage