Five years ago, Addison West was two people, a lifelong dream, and a tiny website with about 20 products. Since then, we’ve opened a storefront, closed a storefront, opened our flagship Waitsfield, Vermont store, built out our Design Studio, and grown into a team of twelve. Some of those decisions went as planned. Others taught us what not to do again. What has stayed constant is the way our customers—YOU! have helped encourage and guide us toward the best path for what comes next.
This year felt especially meaningful because so many of you chose to come back. Again and again. You returned to the shop, found us online, reached out for another design project, told friends and family about us, and stayed connected well beyond a first visit. Taken together, we saw a 33% increase in returning customers. For us, what it really represents is trust. We thank you SO MUCH for continuing to choose Addison West.
We’ve taken time this year to define the values core to our business and team—because we want Addison West to be a place where you also feel great about the small business you're supporting.
We formalized our partnership with Habitat for Humanity. We spent a day volunteering at our local ReStore (one team member later said it was their favorite day of the year), donated more than $10,000 in goods, and created an easier path for our design clients to responsibly re-home furnishings. For us, this is about making it simpler for customers to make choices that feel thoughtful, not wasteful.
And we began the work toward B Corp certification, with a goal of submitting our application in 2026. It’s a rigorous process, and that’s the point. We want all of you to feel confident that when you invest your time, energy—and your hopes for your homes—that you’re doing it with a business that is intentional about how it operates, who it works with, and the impact it has.
Our Makers Market series also launched this year. We hosted more than 15 different makers at the shop. These events are about more than a weekend pop-up—they’re a way for us to keep supporting small, independent makers in a very real way. And for you to meet and know them. And you DID.
At the same time, our design business has more than doubled, with several projects wrapping up that we can’t wait to share. These homes—and the relationships that come with them—are a big part of what makes our work so rewarding.
None of this feels like a finish line. It feels more like proof that we’re building something steady, thoughtful, and shared.
If you’ve shopped with us, worked with our design team, attended a Makers Market, or simply told someone, “You should check out Addison West”—THANK YOU. These first five years look the way they do because of you.
And we can’t wait to see you in the next one! Happy New Year!
Monique
Founder, Addison West
