Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1475157
14 UCW AUGUST 3 - 9, 2022 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Curate Essentials: An herbal apothecary and boutique in the heart of Haymount Hill by KATHLEEN RAMSEY COVER STORY e porch at Curate Essentials is astir with energy. e white house looks pristine from the road with lush greenery adding to the overall ambiance given by the large wrap- around porch and broad windows. e atmo- sphere is cozy and relaxed. On one side of the porch two women sit sipping coffee and snacking while discussing the herbs growing out front. On the other side of the porch is a family, their toddler daughter running around the chairs while they sip out of white glass mugs. Traffic is buzzing by and people are constantly coming and going from the shop. Just inside the house, behind the counter is the owner, Leslie Pearson. Her short gray hair is well-coiffed and the dark rims of her glasses frame her face well. She moves fast around the small coffee coun- ter inside. She wears a pair of jeans and a light, sage tunic that meshes well against the herbs and handmade items in the shop. Pearson talks with her customers, giving opinions and ideas for purchases or remedies for their ail- ments. When she speaks, she's relaxed and smiles frequently. Pearson looks perfectly at home in her new space. She laughs between ringing up her customers and gives friendly waves to those entering and exiting. Her own charm is endearing and inviting. e house itself has many rooms with differ- ent types of bookshelves and cabinets lining each room. e gentle smell of herbs overtakes each portion of it. e smell even reaches the porch as the door opens and closes. e shelves inside are lined with glass bottles and soaps, metal jars of hand salves. Jewelry deco- rates many walls within the home — eclectic pieces of metals, leathers and even animal teeth. In the back of the house is a kitchen where large jars of herbs are stored and open glass canisters sit on countertops with herbs steeping in rich, dark water. Upstairs is Pear- son's office and artist studio. It's bright and clean, overlooking the main area of Hay- mount. Overall, the house is like walking into a mixture of Cape Cod and a trip into Wonder- land. It embodies Pearson well. "e whole shop is if you looked inside Les- lie's brain," she says laughing. Pearson walks out to the front of the shop. As she passes people by, she greets them or stops to chat about an herb they are looking to buy. Eventually she arrives at the front near her gardens. She leans against the white railing and looks back at her newest endeavor. Just a short time ago, she was the owner of e Fayetteville Pie Company. She still cur- rently runs her event venue, Vizcaya Villa, which inhabits that space that was formerly e Fayetteville Museum of Art. Pearson bought the building at 1302 Fort Bragg Road in 2018, originally intending for it to just be an artist's studio. When Covid hit, Pearson said she became more and more interested in find- ing medicinal herbs for herself. "I thought this would be a great thing to share with people. at's really when the business itself pivoted to becoming an herbal apothecary. at was kind of the transition," she said. Person stops for a moment, looks back at the porch, smiles and nods her head in Above and right: Curate Essentials is a wonderland of items including metal jars of hand salves, clothing, handcrafted soaps and moisturizer. A snack counter offers tea, coffee and bakery items. Below left: When COVID hit, Pearson became interested in medicinal herbs, and her business idea pivoted toward an herbal apothecary. Below right: Pearson arranges handmade journals. (Photos by Kathleen Ramsey)