New resident to Rylstone and business owner – Folkologie, Rylstone
“Thriving in business in a small country town is not just about your own personal success, but that of your chosen community as well.”
As the owner of a successful visual merchandising and display business in Sydney with a fast-paced, exciting career that took her all over the world, one would perhaps not pick Carol as the type to fall in love with the small country town of Rylstone in the Mudgee Region.
Background
It was love that caused Carol to make the move to Rylstone. She met her fiancé Kym through mutual friends at a party, and love blossomed. It was clear that the two had a future together built on similar values, dreams and lifestyle goals.
Initially Carol and Kym’s aim was to find a central location to meet and catch up that was half way between Narrabri and Sydney. Out came the maps, and they came across Rylstone as the perfect weekend getaway destination.
Their destination love affair with Rylstone was swift and immediate, and both Carol and Kym commenced communications with real estate agents as soon as they departed Rylstone after the pivotal visit.
They bought a cottage and opened Carol’s chic giftware store, Folkologie. The cottage is a passionate renovation project whilst they grow their business and cement themselves further into the welcoming community of Rylstone.
Why Rylstone?
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Carol and Kym fell head-over-heels in love with Rylstone and instantly wanted to move there.
The stunning drive into Rylstone, tree-lined streetscape and historical value that had been preserved across so many buildings, businesses and homes was inviting and magnetic.
“There is a heart and soul in Rylstone. The people are engaging and welcoming and despite what outsiders may think, there is absolutely zero professional complacency on the work front. You not only want to do well for yourself, but for the benefit of the entire community. At times I felt disconnected and isolated in Sydney, despite being surrounded by people. And if I am honest I had slipped into putting on a facade in order to maintain a professional image. But when we came to Rylstone, everything seemed to fit into place. Our immersion into the community was natural and welcomed, and we were able to be ourselves. Our stresses drifted away and the country life washed over me and I was hooked 100%.”
Business in a small regional town
Carol has never been busier or more content in her professional and personal life. Both she and her fiancé Kym have embraced Rylstone as easily as the locals have embraced them. Professionally, Carol’s store Folkologie is building a reputation among locals and visitors as a beautiful and valued country chic homewares and gift shop.
Running a successful business in Rylstone brings Carol and Kym great rewards and pleasure, ensuring all of their personal and professional goals can be realised. Kym, a qualified builder who was previously a farmer, now spends his days creating beautiful bespoke furniture pieces to sell to the many admiring visitors to their store. Business has been good and Folkologie is set for expansion into new premises, whilst Carol continues to run both the shop and her Retail Revamp business.
Folkologie, Rylstone
Celebrates the unique, the creative and the quirky with a range of Australian inspired furniture, homewares and gifts.
Inspired by our regional lifestyle and our love of all things Australiana, at Folkologie you’ll discover a beautiful collection of carefully crafted furniture, homewares and gift lines. We’re all about the rustic and recycled, we salvage and save the ‘old’ and bring it to life again!
We love to source quirky and unique pieces and share it with you in our creative retail and online space.
Carol B Retail Revamp
For more than 20 years, Carol has been helping small and large businesses to activate and transform their retail and community spaces to create amazing customer experiences and optimal sales environments. Carol offers services in the areas of retail design and visual merchandising education. Her work involves small to large scale revamps and renovations of retail and community spaces. Carol also runs retail revamp education programs, a series of leading educational programs and inspiring creative workshops aimed at retailers keen to understand how to activate their retailing space through best practice visual merchandising.
