Plainfield hardware Store
What's In Store

As seen in the April 2008 Issue of Log Home Design.

Story by: Donna Peak, Editor of Log Home Design
Photography by: Rich Frutchey

In these times of big-box stores, you're hard pressed to get good old-fashioned service with a smile. But if you ever find yourself traveling along US Rt. 2 in East Montpelier, Vermont, and you need anything from a hammer to a home-baked pie, you'll also get down-home friendliness and a knowledgeable staff at Plainfield Hardware, Farm Market & Garden Center-all within a 3,600-square-foot log cabin storefront. Since 1999, Richard and Gaye Christiansen have operated their business on one basic principle: listen to the customers. And what they've heard is that their neighbors want a one-stop shop where they can buy their necessities and regulars can meet to shoot the breeze. Literally offering everything from soup (they feature locally made daily specials) to nuts (the hardware department is fully stocked), their country store is happy to oblige. Wanting to go local at every opportunity, Richard and Gaye chose Hartland-based Real Log Homes to supply their log package and nearby builder and RLH rep Mark Elliott to bring it all together. As log homeowners for the past 19 years, the Christiansens are well aware of the comforting feeling a log home can bring, and they believed their customers would feel the same. They were right. Recently, with help from their son, they've expanded their offerings to include local wines, animal feed, gardening supplies and, of course, genuine Vermont maple syrup. For more information, call Plainfield Hardware at 802-454-1000. To get in touch with Real Log Homes, call 800-732-5564 or visit them online at www.realloghomes.com.