Rumson Outdoor Living Shop Offers a Variety of Items Inspired By Nature

Bain’s Outdoor Living welcomed guests to an informal open house to showcase the establishment at 125 E. River Road in Rumson on the evening of Oct. 25. The quaint shop – which shares space with Rumson China & Glass – is owned by Donna and Tom Bain, who previously owned for four years.

The Rumson couple have been entrepreneurs for five years, and prior to that, Tom worked in corporate America, and Donna was a homemaker.

“I was home raising the children,” said Donna. “They all graduated and moved on, so it was time for us to do something together. We opened Outdoor Living because it is something we have enjoyed – creating a house to become a home; a place to entertain.”

Bain’s Outdoor Living – with a staff of four – moved to its new location in January, and Donna stresses this is an entirely different endeavor than what the couple previously offered at Bain’s Better Day.

“This is more architectural, exterior design items,” said Donna. “We still have gifts, but they’re geared more toward outdoor living – all price points. We used to own Bain’s Market, and we sold that business in July.”

Pieces at the shop range from items as small as candles and disposable napkins, to cast aluminum furniture and woodwork such as pergolas and fencing from Walpole Woodworkers of Walpole, Mass. A corner of the shop is devoted to all things avian such as bird feeders and houses by Lazy Hill Farm Designs of Maine.

“We sold Lazy Hill bird houses down the street, and our four-year relationship with Walpole selling bird houses, enabled us to become a partner store with the full line of Walpole products,” said Donna.

The couple emphasized – and is exceptionally proud of – their connection with the 75-year-old Walpole Woodworkers.

“We’re an authorized partner store of Walpole – there are no others in Monmouth County, and there’s one other one in New Jersey,” said Tom. “Items are done off-site, and every one of them is custom, made-to-order.”

The company consists of a team of local detail-oriented craftspeople who design and build a product line that includes fencing, pergolas, arches and mail posts, a lot displayed at Bain’s Outdoor Living.

The shop shares its space with .

“Tom calls it ‘fusion retailing,’” said Donna. Indeed, during the open house, patrons browsed both shops in the building. While at Bain’s they focused on not only Walpole items and its catalog, but items Donna selects at trade shows in Atlanta and New York City.

Don’t be fooled by the name Outdoor Living – this shop has plenty for the interior.

“We have supplies for someone who’s tailgating or if you’re going away for a ski weekend, and you want to bring your hosts a gift,” said Tom. “We try to work with cottage industries as far as vendors – made in the USA.”

Most of Bain’s stock is eco-friendly, using natural materials such as soy, burlap, organic ingredients, and recycled sails used in bags and totes made by Sea Bags of Portland, Me.

“Our approach is about finding fresh products inspired by nature to enhance your love of the outdoors,” said Tom. “We look for the story behind cottage industries – companies who without mandate give back to their communities.”

Primarily geared to the outdoor lifestyle and entertaining, the shop is tastefully decorated with tract lighting and pale beige and gray foliage-print carpet. Housed in the interior are intricately engraved copper and brass mailboxes, teak benches, melodic wind chimes, a fire pit by Good Directions of Connecticut, glass star candle lanterns, copper garden “Dancing Frogs” by Beau Smith of Georgia, and a cast aluminum table and chairs.

Attractive outdoor lighting for lamp posts or freestanding lighting adorns part of one wall, and in an opposite corner, brass door knockers are perched next to a wood Freeport spindle-top arbor by Walpole, with Adirondack chairs beneath it. Although Tom claimed “We’re exterior decorators,” Bain’s Outdoor Living caters not only to the “backyard enthusiasts,” but homeowners interested in sprucing up the interior as well. Candles, vases, urns both large and small, hand-painted placemats by Sarah Minor Designs of New Hampshire, baskets, table linens and wooden bowls are just some of the offerings suitable for the interior.

Not only were several in attendance at the open house, and several sales made, but the owners say business overall has been brisk.

“The response has been very good – we had a positive spring season,” said Donna.

Spring business may have been enhanced by sales of bird houses at Bain’s Outdoor Living, both traditional wood structures by Lazy Hill, and the unusual created by Mr. Bird of New Braunfels, Texas. Mr. Bird bird houses are dual purpose: They are petite wooden structures, coated in bird seed, and once the birds have consumed all the seed, the wooden house appears and is ready to be occupied.

Man’s best friend isn’t forgotten at the establishment, with a corner of the shop devoted to dogs and cats. Attractive pet beds, toys, bowls, biscuits in crunchy bacon or peanut butter, rope tug toys, and soy Sniff candles in fragrances such as “Remember Me,” and “Fart & Away” are nestled on the shelves. Organic treats, and dog and puppy gift baskets by Delynn Mehrlander of Jodes Happy Tail, Little Silver, are carried, and Mehrlander was present at the open house. She related the story of the business’s namesake, her yellow Lab, Jode.

“We adopted Jode and he was 130 pounds, so we started cooking healthy food for him and he lost 30 pounds,” said Mehrlander. “After he went to Heaven at age 10 last year, friends of mine asked for the biscuits, and it just blossomed into this business.”

Her business offers biscuits, birthday cakes and frozen yogurt – all using natural ingredients.

“A lot of the ingredients are grown in our organic garden,” said Mehrlander. “We also have a home in Vermont, and in light of what happened in Vermont after Irene, a lot of farmers have lost their livelihood, so I purchased a lot of their veggies, whole wheat flour and honey to help support them.”

Jodes Happy Tail distributes to 15 locations in the county, with a portion of proceeds helping offset medical expenses of rescued shelter dogs, and for canine cancer research.

Locals, non-locals – the Bains enjoy promoting them all.

“We like the community, the people of the community – the entire two-river area,” said Donna.

Tom is just as pleased as his wife in their new endeavor.

“We get to make a living doing something we like to do,” said Tom.

Upcoming events at Bain’s Outdoor Living include a demonstration in November by Kate Duffy of Katydid Signature Floral and Event Design of Red Bank, on using backyard and natural ingredients for Thanksgiving table décor, and “Small Business Saturday,” Nov. 26, sponsored by American Express.

For more information, call Bain’s Outdoor Living at 732-530-3210 or email tbain@walpolenj.com.