Our Story

This is a story about old things worth saving, a business I loved, a season that changed everything—and finding the courage to begin again.

It started with a little paint and a big dream.

I started Carolina Pine in 2012 with a love for beautiful furniture, old things worth saving, and the belief that a little paint, patience, and imagination could completely transform a home.

What began as a small family business grew into something far bigger than I ever expected. We opened stores, packed more orders than I could count, helped people breathe new life into pieces they loved, and built a community around the simple idea that home should feel personal—not perfect.

Many of you were there during those wonderful, busy years. You trusted us with your projects, told your friends about our store, and made Carolina Pine part of your homes. I will never stop being grateful for that.

Then the ground shifted beneath us.

The COVID years changed the foundation of the business. My longtime furniture supplier closed. A major paint supplier began selling directly to customers. The version of Carolina Pine I had worked so hard to build suddenly could not continue in the same way.

At the same time, I sold one of our retail stores, moved my family to an old farmhouse tucked into the Appalachian Mountains, and poured much of myself into public service. Between work, raising my girls, caring for my family, and trying to understand what the next chapter of life was supposed to look like, I became quiet.

The honest truth is that I stepped away because I did not know how to show up while I was still figuring things out. It felt easier to be silent than to pretend I had all the answers.

But Carolina Pine never really left me.

Sometimes beginning again is the bravest thing we can do.

Today, I am home on our farm with my family—raising one daughter who is nearly grown and another who is still little enough to believe every day should include snacks, animals, and an adventure.

Life here is beautiful and messy in the best way. There is always something to repair in the old farmhouse, flowers spilling out of the garden, and a little bit of chaos somewhere nearby. Charlie the donkey and Pearl the goat keep us humble. Orders are packed around family life, and sometimes my smallest helper is beside me handing over packing paper one piece at a time.

I have learned that starting again does not mean going backward. Sometimes it means returning to what you loved with clearer eyes, a softer heart, and a better understanding of what truly matters.

So I am bringing Carolina Pine back to life—not to become the biggest business, but to build something warm, useful, trustworthy, and personal. A place for time-tested General Finishes products, practical help, old pieces with character, and beautiful things chosen for real homes and real life.

There is a real family behind every order.

When you shop with Carolina Pine, your order does not disappear into a giant warehouse system. A real family sees it, packs it, answers the email, worries when a package is delayed, and still smiles when the order notification comes through.

Your support helps put food on our table, care for our farm, raise our girls, and keep a small female- and veteran-owned business alive. Every order matters here. Truly.

If you remember Carolina Pine from years ago, thank you for waiting for me. If you are just finding us now, I am so glad you are here.

This is not the old Carolina Pine pretending nothing changed. It is Carolina Pine beginning again—with more honesty, more heart, and a deeper sense of purpose.

With love and gratitude,
Kathy
Carolina Pine