Gene Dennis stands in front of the door leading to the store's bathroom he constructed with a freestanding bathtub and cabinet with bucket sink.
Gene Dennis stands in front of the door leading to the store’s bathroom he constructed with a freestanding bathtub and cabinet with bucket sink.

By Emily Etheredge

As you step inside Gene and Sherry Dennis’ store The Old Country Barn Gift Shop in Clanton, it is almost as if you have stepped inside a log cabin in the mountains.

“I have always enjoyed the old country primitive theme,” Sherry Dennis said. “People who have shopped here have said that coming here reminds them of visiting the mountains.”

The store, located next door to the Chilton-Clanton Public Library in Clanton, sits directly behind the Dennis’ home and originally opened in 2009.

Sherry and Gene bought their house in 1977 with a separate building attached to the back portion of their house used for two apartments.

Sherry decided in 2009 to convert the once-used apartments into a store and enlisted the help of Gene, who enjoys woodworking; to create some of the ideas used throughout her shop.

“He is really good about looking at an idea I will find and building something from that idea,” Sherry said. “I will take a picture of something I like and he can build it for me.”

After opening the store in 2009, Gene had back surgery that required Sherry to focus on helping Gene recuperate, which resulted in the store closing for several years.

Sherry decided to reopen the store in June and now focuses on creating gift baskets, wax melts and candles along with mesh ribbon wreaths for any occasion and college football teams.

Gene also works on different pieces of wood including recycled cedar that he turns into different items for sale including a wooden box with a deer carving on the front.

Sherry enjoys creating wax melts with various scents she finds and mixes together.

Some of the scents include “hillbilly home brew,” “apple butter pumpkin” and “pumpkin cornbread.”

“I find the scents that I enjoy and experiment with other scents,” Sherry said. “A lot of people enjoy the wax melts because as the wax melts on your wax warmer, you don’t have to worry about an open flame from a candle.”

Sherry also has pie and cake candles with different scents such as blueberry and pecan pie or banana pudding.

Some of the cake or pie candles have wax-covered décor that resemble blueberries or pecans.

Both Sherry and Gene admit many people stopping by the store think at first glance the shop is an antique store.

“We have had customers who have stopped by because they think we sell antiques but once they come inside they enjoy looking around and seeing all of the different things we have in here,” Gene said.

A small guest book by the front door invites customers to record their visit.

So far, Sherry has had visitors from different parts of Alabama and places such as Utah, Texas and Canada.

Gene built the majority of the store with wood from old houses and barns and different furniture pieces throughout the store have also been recycled from different pieces of wood.

A cabinet toward the entrance of the store was made out of a door with glass that came out of a former Steel Mill in Ensley.

“I didn’t want to just throw the glass away, and Sherry had a photo of a cabinet made out of an old door so I decided to just recycle everything and make something out of it,” Gene said.

A sight to see at Gene and Sherry Dennis' store is the antique bathtub and cabinet with bucket sink.
A sight to see at Gene and Sherry Dennis’ store is the antique bathtub and cabinet with bucket sink.

The most notable part of the store is the bathroom constructed by Gene with a freestanding bathtub and cabinet with bucket sink.

Although a faucet turns on the water, Gene constructed a pump attached to the bucket to resemble a water pump.

“It is kind of funny but we have had people who come to the shop to just take a look at the bathroom,” Gene said.

The store is open Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.

For more information about the store, contact (205) 389-0761 or visit the store’s Facebook page listed as The Old Country Barn Gift Shop.

The store is located at 105 First St. N. in Clanton.