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There may be plenty of brick-and-mortar places in town that are rife with handmade goods, but Bennett Piispanen has taken the show on the road. He's the creator of Born in the N.A.S.H., a mobile store that sells products made by local artisans.
'My main thought with this is to hit up the events that go on in town and showcase what Nashville has to offer,” Piispanen says of his renovated 1974 Airstream trailer. Shoppers can find Born in the N.A.S.H. parked at the Nashville Flea Market as well as at Fort Houston during the First Saturday Art Crawl in May.
As for the wares, Piispanen stocks a wide variety. 'I try to be very unique with what I have and try to have the coolest up-and-coming things,” he says. The current crop includes leatherwork, woodwork, jewelry, dream catchers, and cocktail mixers.
The store offers more than just handmade goods and curbside appeal: Piispanen teamed up with two local craftsmen, Nick Georgiou from re:wind//stuff and Daniel Heering from Wildcard Design, to give the interior a total makeover, complete with sub-flooring and new shelves. He opened the trailer doors in December once it was retail-ready.
Four months in, Born in the N.A.S.H. just might show up on your block next. 'The great thing with mobile is that the opportunities are endless,” Piispanen says. 'You just pull up, park it, and you're ready to go.”
Locations all around town; 513-919-2611; borninthenash.com Photos by Sarah Hrudka