Article and Photos by Jessica McCafferty
Tucked away in the Boynton Square Plaza in Plattsburgh you will find a two-in-one treasure. The Living Edge and Forever Christmas is the collaboration of husband-and-wife team Michel and Michelle Heagerty who offer handcrafted furniture and home accessories on one side of the store and a winter wonderland of holiday decor on the other.
Michelle was born and raised in Plattsburgh, but left the area with her family in the 1980s to relocate to North Carolina. Michael was raised in Ohio, but his career relocated him to North Carolina. The two met while working at Home Depot.
Michel managed several home improvement hardware stores in his career. He also did some contracting on the side. Even his hobby was centered around wood. He started making furniture, incorporating epoxy resin in his designs. The couple would take the finished pieces to local flea markets and swap meets in North Carolina on the weekends and soon a hobby became a career.
The Living Edge’s pieces are true works of art, incorporating the natural curves of the wood into large resin slab molds along with a complimenting resin design. Some pieces might have carved tops with resin inlays and others are a collaboration of the two mediums.
When family connections brought the Heagertys to the North Country in 2021 they found the opportunity to open a brick-and-mortar store. Knowing they would need a more varied inventory to ensure the longevity of the business and generate foot traffic, they looked to fill a niche that was getting little attention in the area. Enter Forever Christmas.
While both Heagertys make custom pieces for the Living Edge side of the business, Michelle also does handcrafted ornaments for Forever Christmas, sticking with classic and simple styles that are the most popular as well as options that can be personalized.
The store has two entrances, but on nice days you will find the Forever Christmas door open to the fresh air. Stepping inside, the first thing you will see is “The Queen,” a ten-foot artificial pine tree elaborately decorated in reds and golds. Just to her right, on guard, is Nick, a five-foot Nutcracker. Michelle, often at her workbench in the back, prefers a low-key sales approach, allowing shoppers to browse on their own after greeting them and explaining the layout of the store. “My name is Michelle; I will be over here if you have any questions.”
One could spend an hour in the store and not find every treasure. There are Jim Shore figurines, Santas and Snowmen from various creators, ornaments that fit year around occasions, the Hall of Snow globes, Briarwood Lane decorative flags and doormats with interchangeable holiday themed centers. And yet, with all their offerings Michelle joked, “Everyone always asks about the items that are not for sale” — the personal collection that is part of the store decor like their one-person sleigh or holiday top hats. Michel boasts that his wife has wonderful taste and they try to find vendors for the requested items they have collected over the years.
While the Forever Christmas side often brings gift seekers into the store, the Living Edge might be the area where they find their perfect item. From tables, stands and wall-mounted coat hangers to charcuterie boards and candle holders, there is a nice sampling of pre-made items created by the Haugertys.
Michel will also work with clients to bring their vision to reality. The workshop, behind a heavy plastic curtain in the store, is filled with prepared wood pieces just waiting to become the next custom order. Michelle has also offered two-day resin pour classes for decorative Charger Plates, allowing locals to try their hand at this emerging craft medium.
While we talked about the numbers side of the business and trends in the market, the Heagertys shared that they are already ordering for the 2025 season. “If orders aren’t placed with vendors by the February prior to the season you just won’t have the stock,” they explained.
The Heagertys don’t have a large online presence, relying instead on foot traffic in the plaza, word of mouth recommendations and a small Facebook site for marketing. With the large custom items being too costly to ship with a high risk of damage, and plenty of holiday vendors already out there, the couple doesn’t see the value in the time and expense of a website. “People still like to touch things,” Michelle quipped “That’s something online doesn’t offer,” Michel added.
The couple’s clientele comes from throughout the Northern New York region as well as Canada. “We are forever grateful for our repeat customers,” Michelle noted “We do phenomenal Small Business Saturday sales and we appreciate the Shop Small and Shop Local campaigns.
Asked how the two businesses compare sales wise, they found it a hard question to answer. At the end of the year, looking at the bottom line, they are close. Christmas sales are a little higher and see more of the day-to-day traffic, while The Living Edge’s sales are larger amounts that allow that side of the business to hold its own. The Heagertys are optimistic for the coming holiday season which will be their third year in the Boynton Square Plaza.
As I wrapped up my after-hours interview with them, Michelle overheard a woman on the sidewalk say to her husband, “I don’t want to bother them, they are closed.” She quickly chimed in, “If the doors are open, we are open!” and she welcomed them to the store with a quick rundown with where to find things and “My name is Michelle, I will be over here if you have any questions.”
The Living Edge / Forever Christmas
164 Boynton Ave,
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
518 310-1212
Comentários