Home Decor Shop Brings Fresh Style to Tipton
Photographer / Jim Hunt
For Kindra Tragesser, Urban Homestead represents both the fulfillment of a dream and the desire to support the Tipton community. Located on East Jefferson Street in a renovated building owned by Tragesser and her husband Brent, the business is a retail interior design goods store and studio. Its a space that not only gives customers decor ideas, but also a place to buy gifts for anniversaries, weddings and baby showers.
As a realtor with more than 22 years of experience, Tragesser has also remodeled and flipped homes on the side. Designing and decorating quickly became her passion and she found herself building up a consultation business to share her expertise with others. Eventually, the idea of serving her clients with a retail shop was born and Urban Homestead opened in July of 2019.
I could have continued my consultation business out of my home, but the idea of a shop grew and developed into this, Tragesser says. I felt like it was the right time to jump in and do it. Having a store has a double purpose. Clients can come in and see what can be done, and buying a building helps revitalize downtown.
Tragesser says the shop name represents her affinity for the local community.
I love my city, but I also live in the country, she says. We have a great city and county. If our downtown is healthy, so is the city and thus the county too.
Urban Homestead offers items that can beautify a home, as well as personal and gift items. Visitors will find products from Simple Goodness Soaps and Capri Blue, as well as jewelry crafted by Tipton artisans. Furniture from CR Laine and Rowe is available and can be ordered in more than a thousand different fabrics. Finishing touches to complete home decor projects, such as Uttermost lamps, mirrors, and art from local artists like Douglas David, are abundantly displayed throughout the store.
The store has quality products that can stand the test of time, Tragesser says. People ask me, Whats your style? I like all styles. Everyone is not the same, so I do my homework and have a wide selection. I carry unique items that have a story with Tipton. If I dont have it, I can order it. If I wouldnt want it, I dont want my customers to have it.
Tragessers advice to clients who want to refresh their home interior is to start from the ground up. She recommends beginning with flooring and paint to determine color tones, and working from there. A few additional, simple changes can make a big impact.
A few things can be done that make refreshing an interior an inexpensive experience, Tragesser says. It doesnt have to be overwhelming – you dont have to eat the whole pie at once. Color makes the greatest impact. Once you decide on the color of the floor and walls, one piece of furniture could be changed out, or get a new area rug. Replacing lamps or getting a few new pieces of wall art can make a huge difference.
Tragesser is in the process of setting up an online store. During the recent coronavirus-related shutdown of many retail businesses, Urban Homestead was closed for two and a half months, but the Tipton community continued to support the business. Throughout that time, people called to purchase items and curbside pickup was arranged.
Opening Urban Homestead was almost like giving birth, Tragesser says. I had lots of labor pains. Brent and I have lived our whole lives in Tipton. I feel like the city is on the cusp and moving in the right direction. The shop is a way to give back, and hopefully inspire other people to invest in the community too. My heart is in this shop. I love it and all the products in it.
Urban Homestead is located at 114 East Jefferson Street in Tipton. For more info, call 765-675-4424 and visit facebook.com/urbanhomesteadllc.
