Allie Lundeen and her sisters own a home decor shop called Whimsy Green at her home in Dassel, Minn. which brings together women from all over the United States.

By Mady Fortier and Bri Shaw | Feature Reporters

Cars line the dirt road on 268th Street in Dassel, Minnesota. They’re all here for one reason – the Whimsy Green sale. The bright red barn is packed full of repurposed furniture and home decor, handmade by Allie Lundeen and her three sisters, Melanie, Jenni and Sonya. The welcoming atmosphere of children playing around the big white farm house and the excitement of the treasures that wait inside the barn are all part of the appeal of this family-run business. Both of Lundeen’s parents wait outside to greet the shoppers, and Momma Sue proudly gives instructions to the ladies before they enter the shop.

About 24 hours before the shop opens, Lundeen and her sisters fill it with inventory that they have spent months creating.

“We’re naptime and bedtime workers, so we do a lot of our work when the kids are sleeping,” Lundeen said.

They work diligently, propping decorative pillows on couches and hanging banners on the  walls. The shop brims with inventory that has been handmade and repurposed by the four women who stand exhausted, but grateful as they look at their work.

“We work pretty late, and there are a lot of things that aren’t funny, but seem funny,” Melanie said.

Whimsy Green started in 2012.  The idea came when Allie and her husband Ryan purchased a farm house in Dassel. They had old furniture that they needed to sell, and two empty pole barns that came with their property. With the help of her husband, Lundeen renovated one of the barns and turned it into the shop that is now Whimsy Green.

“Whimsy is like a family affair,” Lundeen said.

The success of Whimsy Green is attributed mostly to social media, as the sisters have gained a following of 7,605 people on Facebook, and through Allie’s blog, Proverbs 31 Girl. During the first year of Whimsy Green Lundeen was approached by a tv producer who loved the dynamic of the four sisters running their own store and was looking for a great story to share with her viewers. Allie and Sonya had a Skype interview with the producer, who asked tough questions about the drama and hardships of running their own store.

“We didn’t hear anything back, so we’re not very good on camera,” Lundeen said.

Lundeen and her sisters prepare for their upcoming sale, going to thrift shops and flea markets, finding items to repurpose and add to their Whimsy Green shop. The barn sits empty, soon to be filled with vintage home decor. Customers mark their calendars for June 22 & 24, eager to drive hours to a shop in a small farm town of 1,500 people.

Watch Allie’s interview below.