Knot to be missed
Carve out some time to visit Unique & Knotty
We challenge you to put a label on Unique & Knotty, the stunning boutique in the Marketplace at Salishan. Handcrafted furnishings provide a fitting foundation for unique lighting, decor, tableware, linens, inclusive clothing and accessories, handmade jewelry, gifts and artisan candles that follow an aesthetic.
“Some could say ‘boho’ and ‘eclectic,’ but we are so much more than that,” said owner Courtney Martin-Schlicting, who hand-makes some of the items represented in the “knotty” part of the shop’s name. There are daily comments from customers about how special Unique & Knotty is along with the quality of the carefully curated wares, clothing and artisans' works.
Part of the variety in styles comes from the roughly 50 artisans represented, about 30 of whom are based in the Pacific Northwest.
“Our artisans make it easy to provide a fresh flow of creative works for all our customers,” Martin-Schlicting said. “We make it so that people don’t just connect with the art we carry, but the heart behind it.”
With a background in woodworking, “a woodaholic” in her words, Martin-Schlicting returned home to the Oregon Coast a few years ago, opened a shop in Pacific City that featured her work along with hard-to-find barn finds and antiques. Within her first year here, she was offered a position managing the Aerial Park for Salishan, having been a tour guide for various operations around the US. The offer allowed the opportunity to relocate her shop to the beautiful Marketplace at Salishan, a place she has loved and admired since childhood. She and partners Rebecca and Tyler Waldenberger created a business, The Adventure Collective, that now runs the aerial park which also operates from the Salishan Marketplace.
Unique & Knotty is always drawing in new artists, re-imagining the space and curating merchandise based on the needs of the community.
“I am very excited to continually grow all the shop’s departments, with focus on bringing in a wonderful selection of quality, size-inclusive clothing for both men and women, even a small area dedicated to children’s clothing and gifts,” Martin-Schlicting said. “I am loving introducing a wider selection of distinctive menswear. We live in a small community and I feel it is important to offer something for everyone.”
The clothing artfully displayed throughout the space is stylish and reflects an array of fashion styles. Most have a soft, comfortable appearance that helps to create the overall cozy feeling in the shop and includes handmade dresses made by a Balinese company empowering women, along with clothing from small companies around the globe.
When talking about the shop, U&K’s newest team member and manager, Kelly Clark, lights up like a Christmas tree in a city center.
“When people visit the store, they say it’s like coming home and I couldn’t agree more,” she said. “When I first came in, I felt like the world wasn’t such a big place, I felt like everything was an extension of me, and now I hear that all the time from customers.”
“I often hear that coming in here doesn’t just feel like shopping, it’s more of an experience,” Clark said. “Courtney not only has an incredible aesthetic, but she also cares about showing love to every customer.” This theme is carried on by Clark and all who represent Unique & Knotty, as well as the surrounding shops of the Marketplace. Clark added that there are many “small world connections” in the shop, on both sides of the counter.
“It’s really hard to explain, it’s not just a shopping experience, it’s more like opening a world where people can find connection,” Martin-Schlicting said. “We have had people leave in joyous tears, because of a connection or a feeling they experienced when finding the perfect item or outfit for themselves, we try to create a space for those feelings.” Both attribute tapping into the emotional life of customers to them already being open to it.
“People come to the coast for different reasons,” Clark said. “A lot come here for a healing experience, we hold space for them.”
Though every item for sale is carefully chosen, it’s those connections with the customers that really matter.
“For us it has less to do with people buying anything,” Martin-Schlicting said. “It’s about having people leave here feeling better than when they came in.
A beloved quote by Maya Angelou “People will forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel,” Clark said fittingly.
Unique & Knotty is located in the Salishan Marketplace, 7760 N Hwy. 101 in Gleneden Beach and is open Wednesday, Thursday from 11 am to 5 pm, Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday 11 am to 4:30 pm. For more information, go to the Unique & Knotty-Courtney’s ReCreations page on Facebook or @UNIQUEANDKNOTTYTHESHOP on Instagram.