A mix of HomeGoods and TJ Maxx? New business set to open in downtown Bellefonte
Black-billed magpies have a reputation as avid thieves that steal shiny objects to adorn their dome-shaped nests.
The jaylike birds with long, tapering tails mate for life and share the work of building a nest. Females tend to the interior, while males gather sticks for the exterior.
Nests vary in size, but are typically about 30 inches high and 20 inches wide. That’s from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Their reputation as shiny object fiends is more apocryphal, but is still the epitome of how Margaret Wolfe sees her interior design business that’s scheduled to open a storefront Friday.
“Magpies are the birds that collect shiny objects to put in their nests. They literally decorate their own nests,” the owner of The Magpie’s Nest said. “To me, it’s a perfect personification of what I like to do for people. ... Birds make their nests welcoming and soft and warm, and that’s what I do for people’s homes.”
Wolfe isn’t a Bellefonte native, but has lived in the Nittany Valley Region since 1976. That makes her “almost a local,” she joked.
One of her first introductions to interior design came in the 1980s through happenstance. She worked as a designer for a furniture dealer and found she excelled at space planning and design.
That job lasted for nearly a decade before she realized salespersons “made a lot more money than I did,” Wolfe said with a laugh. She continued down that path until the age of 60, when she found herself out of a job and wondering what came next.
“I was livid for just about an hour until I went, ‘Wait a minute, this is the best thing that has ever happened to me because now I have the opportunity to really do something that I loved,’ “ Wolfe said.
She received a diploma in interior design from the Interior Design Institute and then — about six years ago — opened Magpie Interiors from inside her home. She occasionally feels like she hasn’t worked a day since.
“I absolutely love every minute of everything I do,” Wolfe said.
Her search for a storefront began in earnest about three years ago, though she knew a physical place in Bellefonte was something she always wanted.
She considered purchasing the Gamble Mill — she even made an official offer — but was appreciative with the benefit of hindsight that she didn’t have the winning offer.
Wolfe maintained she had a vision for the property, but conceded it would have been more than she could have handled.
She ended up choosing 102 E. Bishop St., an about 2,000-square-foot store she signed the lease for in mid-March. She envisions the shop being a mix of HomeGoods and TJ Maxx.
There will be a focus on sustainable items and goods made by local artisans. The interior design business and studio — set to be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday — will co-exist with the retail space.
A grand opening is scheduled for July 3.
“I have a love for Bellefonte. I think a lot of people in Centre County are starting to understand the quaint, beautiful little town that Bellefonte is,” Wolfe said. “I don’t think it got the recognition it deserved for years and years, but now people are starting to get it. There are little shops here, there are boutiques, these great restaurants, a distillery and a brewery. It’s just a happening little place.”
This story was originally published June 16, 2021 at 7:00 AM.