Duluth woman's DIY project blossoms into thriving business
DULUTH, Minn. — Anna Bailey has made a name for herself with her unique brand of handcrafted wood art pieces.
Her journey began simply.
"My woodworking skills were birthed out of necessity. I wanted a pair of patio chairs," said Anna Bailey.
But it was the wood scraps that led Anna Bailey to start building artwork in her garage.
"I'd put it on my Instagram, and I would say first person to DM me gets it, and it would be sold in five minutes," she said.
That was 2015. A few years later, her husband Nathanael Bailey quit his job to help with her growing business and Bailey Builds was born.
Nathanael Bailey chuckled, "We thought we were going to work out of our 25' by 25' garage, but..."
Anna Bailey responded, "Marriage."
"How long did that last?" WCCO's Derek James asked.
"Not long," Nathanael Bailey replied.
Anna Bailey added, "Not even a day."
Their first storefront was a 1930s-era Texaco gas station. Four years ago, they bought a 9,000-square-foot facility — the former Bell Brothers funeral home.
"They did a lot for this community, and we really value this community too," said Nathanael Bailey.
Bailey Builds and the BB Collective now employs more than 15 workers and features more than 20 other local makers. While the business grows and expands, Anna Bailey's wood mosaic process is still the same.
"I don't do anything digitally first, I don't get on the computer, I don't draw anything out. I just gather strips of wood just like this and I cut and shape them and put them together," explained Anna.
Some of the original works are later repurposed, like her Mosaic Mistletoe Christmas decoration.
For future makers, Bailey Builds offers two classes at 16 different locations across the state and DIY kits to assemble your own art.
Back at the storefront, Anna Bailey explains the importance of her artist statement as it drives her growth. It reads: "Beauty from restraint. We don't have to do it all."
"I think that in a world where we're striving for more and more and more that we kind of forget that there is such peace and beauty from giving ourselves restraint," said Anna Bailey.
The BB Collective is adding a coffee bar and a studio with rentable artist space early next year. Bailey Builds is also releasing a new set of designs in 2025 and will be back with a booth at the State Fair.
