Love Stories: Content + Co
By Kate Devine
Poet Euginia Herlihy wrote, "Love is a sweet aroma, it fills the room with a wonderful atmosphere." Join us in Convention Hall on February 11th and 12th, to bask in such an atmosphere, shop small and local vendors, and skate in our pop up roller hall!
Content + Company, owned by husband and wife team John and Courtney Achilli, offers handmade wooden gifts and home decor. Here's the story of how they met and opened their beautiful business!
When did you meet and what brought you two together?
John and I met while working at the Liberty Science Center (Jersey City, NJ). John was working in the Animal Husbandry department taking care of fish and reptiles, and I was working in the events department. Our departments didn't really have much interaction, but we got to know each other while playing on the company softball team. Neither of us took softball too seriously, but we really enjoyed the after-game happy hour! From there, we were friends for over a year, until we started dating.
What was it like deciding to start your business together?
After we were married in 2012, we purchased our home, called Content, which was a fixer upper. It's a historic property and needed a lot of work! We started doing all of the renovations ourselves at night and on weekends, with John leading construction while I focused on design and budget.
The house renovation showed us how well we worked together, and how much we actually enjoyed it. It also showed us that old houses are expensive, so we started a side business selling John's wood home decor to support the renovation.
Now, with Content (the house) as our inspiration we are Proprietors of Content + Company which has allowed us to support our family, explore a life following our individual passions and welcome others into our home through creativity, relaxation and celebration.
What is your favorite part about working together?
Courtney about John: John is the most laid-back, positive person you will ever meet. His optimism is immeasurable. My favorite part about working with John is that he can always find the silver lining, and he constantly channels that optimism towards growing our business. I'm sure any business owner would agree, there are good days and there are bad days, so having John as my business partner makes every day feel full of potential.
John about Courtney: Well, besides the obvious of being beautiful, Courtney is incredible, hardworking, and talented. We complement each other very well. While I am organized in some regards, Courtney is great at keeping me focused and on task, otherwise I'd probably be daydreaming or bird watching all the time. My favorite part about working with Courtney is her wonderful eye for design. Also, it is important to mention is that she is very understanding of my growing inventory of reclaimed lumber, and all the saw dust I track into the house.
What will you be offering at the Valentine's Market?
For this market, we are tailoring our handmade, wood gift inventory for all the lovers out there. We will have:
- Walnut and maple, wall mount jewelry holders
- Geometric Tealight Holders
- Wood Hand Mirrors and Compacts
- Hexagon Coasters
- Cutting/Serving Boards
- Cedar and Lavender Sachets
- Wood Valentine's Day postcards
