No Good Riding Hood
559 Beaver Street
Sewickley, PA, 15143
(412)741-4200
www.nogoodridinghood.com
Tucked away in quaint downtown Sewickley rests No Good Riding Hood, a full service interior design
business. Though only open since July, No Good Riding Hood has already secured its territory as a one-of-a-kind place; something owner April Meredith calls “Funk’tional Design.” A small storefront offers transportation to a world revolving around the “Funk’tional Design” idea. This MANIAC was lucky enough to get a chance to ask busy entrepreneur April Meredith a few things about her shop and life, and the elusive Sidney Crosby.
April Meredith grew up in Coraopolis and graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh with a degree in interior design. After working around the city at furniture stores such as Hot Haute Hot and Arhaus, she decided that what she really wanted to do was to go into business for herself. She operates her business with an inimitable attitude that can sometimes feel lost in the rush of modern life. Offering few outside designers, April focuses her collections on unique pieces that are not typically mass produced. She creates most of the furniture she sells herself. Her philosophy is that nobody should have to pay too much for an exceptionally designed room, and her pieces exemplify this. April’s line, Trash 2 Treasure, consists of pieces that she found (including one she dug out of the snow on a New Years’ Eve adventure) then revamped and has recently been picked up by a major retailer. As for customer service, she believes in taking a humble approach with customers. “You don’t know everything,” she says. She believes in giving the customer what they want, and admits that at times she needs a helping hand. “You have to know when to ask for help,” she declares.
April’s favorite thing about being her own boss is setting her own guidelines as to what she expects from herself. She admits that it’s hard to answer to herself sometimes, but spend just a few seconds in her store and it is obvious her standards are top-tier. Her favorite part about Pittsburgh is that it’s a small town with a big feel, and her preferred neighborhood is the Southside. She reveals that Lawrenceville is a close second, however, and divulges that she almost opened her shop there instead of its current location in Sewickley. You can always find her perusing flea markets, antique stores, and estate sales for pieces to revamp and turn into a completely unique element of a room’s design.
April’s words to live by come from the movie Vanilla Sky. “The sweet is never as sweet without the sour, and I know the sour,” she repeats as if the scene is playing in her mind’s eye. Although she says her favorite Pittsburgh team is the Steelers, she claims (along with the entire female population of Pittsburgh) that she’s waiting for Sidney Crosby to stop by her store and a whirlwind romance to ensue. So Sid, if you’re reading this hurry up and get over to No Good Riding Hood and show April just how sweet the sweet can be.
-Colleen McGuckin
