A Little Italy Store Just for Home Hobbyists

Don’t let the name fool you. Home Ec, the newest tenant inside James Coffee Co.’s Little Italy warehouse, isn’t trying to stir up a ’50s housewife revival.

“When we think of ‘home ec,’ we think of a class young women took,” says owner Carynn Pinckney. “But people of all genders can cook and garden! The idea for the store is staying home but doing stuff, hobbies that make your house a nice place to be.”

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Her inventory is divvyed up to strike the fancy of any home hobbyist: for the cooks, a wall of kitchenware, unisex aprons, and local ingredients (plus a tabletop full of cookbooks); a display of seed packets, sun hats, and sunscreen for gardeners; and sewing kits for needlepointers.

She’s even found a way to cater to those without a committed interest, offering workshops like “Chocolate Truffles 101” on November 17. “There’s still more to do. I’d love to have a working kitchen and a garden, so people can learn all kinds of things. For now, I’m starting small, sharing things that make my life at home more enjoyable.”

2355 India Street, Little Italy home_ec_store

A Little Italy Store Just for Home Hobbyists

Photo by Becca Batista