Two friends’ love of country-style decorations has led to a new business in Hecla.

Terri Pelfrey and Rayetta Maddy opened Close to Home Primitives on State Route 141 next to Hecla Video last Friday.

“It was something I always wanted to do for a long time and she did too,” said Pelfrey. “So we just got together and thought, ‘Well, we’ll try it.”

The store carries the ever-popular metal stars, candles, lamps, garlands, berries, Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls and Christmas items.

“We are trying to get a variety of stuff in here,” Pelfrey said.

Pelfrey said they opened the business because while both women collect and decorate their homes with country style, they couldn’t find what they liked in the area.

“There’ a couple places in Ashland that sells this type of stuff, but we didn’t know of any place around here,” she said. “We would travel to Milton to buy.”

Pelfrey said she has been collecting primitives and country style decorations for a couple of years. It started off small and then kind of took over the house.

“I started off with one room at my house and before you knew it, I was doing every room,” she said. “I just like country stuff. It makes your home feel very comfortable.”

Maddy’s house is decorated in the same style.

“My son came in here and I asked him what he thought of it,” Maddy said. “He said, ‘It looks just like our house.’ That’s how we want it.”

And the name of the store is accurate; both women live close to the store.

“It’s a busy road and there is nothing like this around here,” Pelfrey said. “So we thought we’d open it up and see how it does.”

After a week in business, the women are enjoying their new store.

“We like it,” Pelfrey said. “We’ve just been working non-stop but we are enjoying it.”