Video: Village Green Renewal Champions Local Craftsmen Collaborative

There’s an empty storefront on the corner of Harvard Street and Aspinwall Avenue where Philip’s TV & Stereo used to be. Last October, Brookline Patch reported that Philip’s had merged with Village Green Renewal at 6 Davis Avenue. 

Seth Barrett, founder and owner of Village Green Renewal, said that many local craftsmen work within a word-of-mouth network. “I’m not looking to compete with local craftsmen. I grew up here, so did a lot of them,” Barrett said. “It’s pretty rewarding to point somebody towards just the right business and know that the people there will be kind and courteous and respectful and it’s going to be a good experience for them.“

Village Green Renewal will fix anything from iPods to restaurant furniture, lamps, dolls, chairs, tables, stained glass, neon signs, bicycles and anything else as a one-stop shopping service oriented trades. Barrett met Allen MacPherson, owner of Phillip’s TV, at the Brookline Rotary Club.

Barrett said that the only way the local businesses can survive is to adapt. Village Green Renewal opened in November of 2008. Since then, it has served as a hub for likeminded men and women who work together as a repairs collaborative.

When talking about the local business climate for craftsmen and skilled laborers, Barrett said,” If we want to survive this, it’s critical that we all catalog each other’s services as a network. We need to know what we can provide for each other and what we can provide for the public. There are a lot of business networking models where people refer people to one another.”