Located at 4 N. Minnesota Street, the new store is called “Rustic.” It sells live edge wood products; such as tables, chairs and benches as well as some home decor items.

Each table, bench, or desk is made from live edge wood. This means the edges are unfinished, maintaining a natural free-form look. Each piece is unique. No two tables are exactly alike. This naturally repurposed look is exactly what owner Denise Forster wanted, which she said is best described as “rustic,” hence the store’s name.

Forster owns and operates Rustic alongside her partner Brian Ardolf. The couple opened Rustic two weeks ago, but the dream of owning a downtown store is two years in the making.

Forster said the idea for the store began shortly after meeting Ardolf. She was living in Alaska and working for Delta at the time. She came to New Ulm to visit Ardolf. It was during this first visit Forster was struck by an idea.

Rustic, the new store at 4 N. Minnesota Street, is open for business. A special grand opening sale is planed for Friday.

“We were walking downtown one evening and I said, ‘I want to open a storefront here,'” Forster said.

She said it was a sudden impulse but she wanted to make it happen. The two began talking about what type of store they could open. Ardolf is a contractor and experienced woodworker. They quickly realized a store specialized in wood furniture would be ideal.

“It is a hobby we both enjoy so let’s try it,” Ardolf said.

They decided to jump into the project with both feet. Forster retired from Delta and moved to New Ulm. They began looking for a shop downtown. They found space to rent at 4 N. Minnesota Street, but after touring the space decided to buy the building instead.

The two purchased the building on Aug. 1 and immediately began fixing up the interior.

Rustic, the lastest downtown New Ulm business, features a variety of live edge wood products including tables, benches, chairs and other home decor items.

Ardolf said renovation to the building was relatively easy. They did not run into any major problems.

“Construction went smooth and in six weeks we were open,” he said.

In fixing up the storefront it was important to maintain the history of the building. Forster said they designed the store to show off products, but they do want to show off the building too.

Much of the interior was stripped down to its original surfaces. Wall panels were removed to expose the original brick. The floor was taken out to expose the inlaid marble.

“As a contractor, I love old buildings,” Ardolf said. “The problem with construction is people want to tear down. They don’t want to repair the old. When we tear down we lose something of history.”

It was a goal to preserve the history of the building, but also keep downtown businesses alive. Ardolf was born and raised in New Ulm and he felt the community would be welcoming to a business like Rustic.

“I felt it was changing around here,” Ardolf said. He feels there is a younger group of entrepreneurs coming to downtown and businesses like Rustic could thrive.

Rustic will have a grand opening on Friday which will include a special sale on live edge wood tables.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

They want to keep daily hours through the holidays.