You could say The Woven Home started out where many great ideas do—in a garage. Megan and Alex Uccello carefully stored their choice furniture finds there until online buyers from Facebook and Instagram came to claim them.

Now, three years later, the couple is quitting their trusty day jobs—Megan a bookkeeper, Alex as a banker—and plunging into business ownership with their new brick-and-mortar shop in Gulf Gate, also called The Woven Home.

What's the significance behind the name? “When we got married we knew it was important to knit the home with things you love,” Megan explains. Plus, she loved interior design and as a child, often changed the position of her furniture, much to her mother’s chagrin.

As an adult, she and Alex wanted to save money and always went thrift shopping. Everything in their home, other than the headboard and plants, is thrifted.

"I was shocked at what I found for the price," Megan says. "The used stuff was better quality than big box places selling new. So we started making relationships with estate sale people and nonprofit thrift stores and other small businesses along the way.” Those relationships became the source of many of the couple's special finds.

Both born and raised in Sarasota, the couple aims to sell quality, gently loved furniture with a mind to keep pieces local, sustainable and accessible.

Furniture styles throughout the 13,00 square foot store include bohemian, coastal, post danish modern, midcentury modern and farmhouse.

“Our target market is not very wealthy. It’s people starting fresh and trying to make their house a home,” Megan says. “We typically work with people going to college and new, younger families moving to the area. We’re popular because we have unique, high-quality stuff available now.”

Those “available now” pieces gave them an edge amid lengthy furniture manufacturing delays that have suffused many industries since the onset of Covid. The pandemic is also part of how their online presence gained legs.

“When Covid hit, we started to grow because people couldn’t shop in stores. Since we were online, that boosted us up,” Megan says.

But it also has to do with Megan’s refreshingly staged photos, which catch the scrolling eye in a cinch with thoughtful, chic displays.

Their furniture styles are often made of organic materials like wood and rattan, which blend a cozy feeling with functionality. The couple doesn’t get into refinishing, since “that would bump our prices up. And we take photos of everything very specifically to show any imperfections,” Megan says.

Home decor items range from $5 to $40 dollars. Dressers are $300 to $600, depending on size, and nightstands are $200 to $300 for a pair. Dining room sets range from $400 to $800.

The Woven Home is also open to payment plans and will deliver pieces at an affordable price. The couple plan to maintain their online shops and hope to one day expand and hire employees. Bur for now, it’s just the two of them—along with their gray cats, Kona and Lilo.

The Woven Home grand opening is Saturday, Dec. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 5859 Murdock Ave. 34231, Unit A, and will feature local small business, the boho byrd, which sells jewelry and clothing. The first 10 shoppers will receive a special promo. Hours are every Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or call 941-374-0403 to make an appointment–they live minutes away. Follow them on Facebook or Instagram.