Celebrating 10 years in beautiful Lyndhurst!

Owner, Terri Dawson stands in her shop.

Owner Terri Dawson and her husband, Peter, were drawn to Lyndhurst for the quality of life. In fact, they are the first people to own their circa 1860s red brick house outside of the original family. Dawson said keeping the heritage feel to the house was paramount when opening the shop, as was showcasing the building’s architectural features without sacrificing its comfortable feel.

“Having the house as part of the big picture is essential to us,” she said, noting that they live upstairs while running their business on the lower level. “That element of history engages people.” In fact, that engrained heritage and the village culture was a big part of what attracted them to relocate.  

The picturesque town of Lyndhurst is known for its stone bridge - the oldest in Ontario.

Arriving in the village a decade ago and setting up their business was filled with promise. “We saw a real potential in Lyndhurst and were anxious to get in on the ground floor in a place that has the natural surroundings, is close to the lake, is picturesque and just has great community feel to it,” said Dawson.

The store itself was born from a love of travelling and collecting beautiful things. The goal was to find a balance between supporting the people they meet overseas while at the same time giving local artisans an opportunity to showcase their talents. Artisanal work from across Ontario complements the gems Terri and Peter find during their annual travels to South East Asia, where they scout out artisans or family businesses while focusing on fair pricing and ethical sourcing.

“When we’re overseas we go to the markets looking for people making things,” she said. “The market is the essence of what we’re doing: making connections with people and understanding what’s important to them. It gives the shop an authentic feel and ensures we always have interesting, revolving and meaningful items to offer our customers.”

Scouring international markets with the locals is a favourite part of the process of bring unique items to the Green Gecko shelves.

Terri stands in front of the new Lyndhurst billboard, a Chamber of Commerce & Community Development initiative she spearheaded.