Sisters Amy and Katie Carson of Bitters Co. have worked closely with craftspeople for over three decades to develop their unique homewares collection. Beyond a direct-to-customer and wholesale business, Bitters Co. is a design and product development studio with a deep appreciation for “traditional craft, use of sustainable materials, and modern sensibilities.”
Bitters Co. launched in 1993 with a retail store in Seattle. In 2004, the sisters moved their base of operations into a 1900s barn on five acres of farmland in Skagit Valley. The Seattle store closed in 2013, and besides a short-lived (but well-loved) store in La Conner from 2018 to 2020, Bitters Co. has done business exclusively from the Barn ever since.
Photograph courtesy of Bitters Co.
The sisters credit traveling with their parents for instilling them with an appreciation for world cultures. International voyages started when the sisters were just 9 and 11. As adults, Katie studied cultural anthropology, and Amy studied architecture and art. These experiences and skills are what honed their aesthetic and approach to product design.
When they’re working to develop products, rather than reinventing the wheel, Amy feels that “there’s so many wonderful concepts and designs that have already been well-defined; as with traditional crafts, Katie and I love to work with those and go from there.”
Photograph courtesy of Bitters Co.
Homewares with Heritage
Bitters Co. celebrates craftsmanship, heritage, and sustainability through functional day-to-day items. Amongst miscellaneous homewares from near and far, you’ll find handmade glassware, hardware, and terra cotta collections made by family producers in Mexico, Guatemala, and Portugal. In some cases, the sisters have worked with three or four generations from the same family.
“When we do our business trips to Portugal, Guatemala, Mexico…it’s like [we’re] part of their family. We’re spending quality time, and we design with them,” says Amy. “There’s a dialogue there.”
Photograph courtesy of Bitters Co.
Two particular collections stand out for their unique visuals and relative scarcity in the U.S.: the barro preto bakeware and the cork home goods. Both come from family producers in Portugal. The barro preto bakeware is a strikingly black, unglazed, high-fired earthenware, which seasons over time. The cork collection features natural burl bowls, planters, trays, and even stools and side tables made from this natural, sustainable, water-resistant, and antibacterial material that we mainly use for wine-stopping.
The Barn
In addition to sourcing and developing their products, the sisters receive, finish, package, and ship them all from their Mount Vernon barn. This allows them to function in a “transparent direct” business model.
“As we are personally involved in every aspect of our business, there’re few unknowns,” says Katie. “We wear multiple hats and love it this way.”
Photograph courtesy of Bitters Co.
At the Barn, they continue to explore their passion for culture, arts, and community. They hold annual Summer and Holiday Open Houses, as well as special gatherings. Up to three times per year from June through October, they host art exhibits, installations, or performances in the Barn’s hayloft. In 2025, this included “MINORI – Grateful Harvest: An Autumnal Lighting Installation” by Yuri Kinoshita, accompanied on opening night by local shakuhachi flutist Araki Kodō VI and Seattle-based Tahoma Fuji Sake.
“We love being a community-centric, culture-centric place where people come together in the interest of the arts, in its broadest sense,” say Amy and Katie. “There is nowhere else we would want to be to share what we do than here in Skagit, with its connections to Whatcom, Island, and King Counties, as well as the east side of the Cascades; we feel pretty fortunate to have found this corner with this great barn.”
Photograph courtesy of Bitters Co.
Stay up to date on happenings at the Barn, shop online, or schedule an in-person visit on their website. For highlights from behind the scenes at Bitters Co., follow them @bittersco on Instagram. 14034 Calhoun Rd., Mount Vernon, 360.466.3550, bittersco.com
