Reclaim Home
What is remarkable about Bridget Biscotti Bradley is how multi-talented she is. Bridget opened Reclaim in Menlo Park, CA in early 2008. Back then we didn’t know much about her other than that she was opening a business to help people make their homes greener.
The pleasant surprise is that she is as much of an artist as a business owner. Bridget went to college as a voice major, but she soon realized that she could express herself better as a writer; so she changed her major to professional writing and art history and graduated at the age of 19.
While growing up in Southern California Bridget learned piano, guitar, and bass, and she loves all kinds of music. Perhaps because she’s half Italian, one of her favorites is ol’ blue eyes Frank Sinatra; so if you go into her store in Menlo Park, chances are you’ll hear Frank belting out a tune, along with other Big Band and jazz music. This light-hearted, uplifting music fits her bright and colorful store perfectly.
Bridget and her husband Kirk moved up to Northern California after college. She began a career in book publishing and ended up working for Sunset, where she edited 25 books on home improvement, decorating, and landscaping topics. You may still find some of these books at Home Depot or your local bookstore. She eventually left her job as executive editor at Sunset so that she could write her own books and has written on subjects ranging from kitchen and bath remodeling to how-to guides. Her newest book, The Green Home, will be published in January, 2010. Don’t ask for a pre-release copy, though. I did already, and we just have to wait!
In the process of writing and editing home improvement books, she had to research each topic enough to have a handle on the material and the specific language. It also helped that she and her husband were always in the middle of some home improvement project where she was able to test out most of the techniques covered in her books. Bridget’s love of houses and the desire to expose more people to eco-friendly home products is what inspired her to open Reclaim. Now the people in her community have easy access to everything from FSC-certified wood flooring to no-VOC paint to organic furniture and of course, mattresses.
It’s a wonderful experience to work with Bridget. In addition to her breadth of knowledge, she has a lovely personality. Her warm, welcoming voice is truly inviting.
When I asked Bridget what is in her heart, she replied, “I really do love helping people find and use products that are healthier for their homes and better for the environment. I especially love seeing people realize that an alternative exists when they hadn’t realized it before, or that they can afford a green product when they thought it was out of reach.”