Hazel Tree Interiors

Hazel Tree Interiors Hosts an Open House to Spotlight Locally-Made Home Decor
by Brit Charek

On Market Street just west of downtown there is what has become a new famous Akron landmark: a gorgeous mural of a Hazel Tree.

The mural was designed by Kelly Tighe, who is used to painting on giant canvases designing sets for theater productions in New York City. When husband and wife team Jon Haidet and Karen Starr opened a new space in the old Norka Futon building to combine their Interior Design and Custom Framing businesses plus open a retail store for locally made home decor, they decided to paint a mural instead of purchasing a sign. The mural has drawn a lot of attention to the store from art lovers and community members a like.

On Saturday May 5, Hazel Tree Interiors is having their annual spring open house, right after the Akron ArtWalk. If you've never seen the building beyond the mural, it would be a great opportunity to stop by and see the inside of the building and what they have to offer. The owners are exceptionally excited to unveil and celebrate their newest offerings of reclaimed, re-purposed home decor from their ever-expanding network of local artisans. There will be refreshments as well as local artists on hand telling the stories behind their ingenuity upcycled pieces.

"Since we've opened we've been working hard to bring together the best and most unique home decor artisans in the area," says owner and Interior Designer Karen Starr, "Our goal with Hazel Tree has been to create a studio and store that connects both retail customers and my design clients with a source for locally-made, interesting home decor."
 

I absolutely covet this desk, welded together from industrial shelving.

Also made from industrial shelving, this chair seems to be comfortable for people of all sizes.

Some of the interesting new types of locally made home decor to be introduced include painted and re-purposed furniture, found object clocks and wall art, accent pillows, clay and glass accent tiles, and a variety of furniture, lighting and other items made from reclaimed steel.

Look at this giant robot designed by Patrick Gerber! There's a selection of several robots, including a Wizard of Oz set.

The other owner of Hazel Tree Interiors is Jon Haidet, who does custom framing. He believes that a frame should compliment the art it houses, not draw attention away from it. He has years of experience in his craft to benefit his customers and help them find something that suits their taste as well as compliment the artwork being framed.

An almost overwhelming selection of custom frames!

Hazel Tree Interiors is located at 143 West Market Street in the Old Norka Futon building. Parking is available on-street or in any of the St. Vincent/St. Mary parking lots. Their annual spring open house takes place on Saturday, May 5th from 5-9 pm. You can learn more about them by visiting their website or by liking them on Facebook.