Hello From the Perrin’s / Part II: The Road to Port ROyal
If Part I was about beginnings, Part II is about the leap—the in-between, the unexpected, and the moment a long-held dream finally began to take shape.
For years, we talked about one day.
One day we’d find the right place.
One day we’d build a space that reflected everything we loved.
One day we’d stop renting and finally plant roots that felt like ours.
Spoiler alert: “One day” arrived wrapped in a pandemic, a few existential meltdowns, and a major relocation we didn’t entirely see coming—but somehow knew was exactly right. (Let’s call it a sign from the universe.)
In 2020, like so many others, we found ourselves asking some big questions:
What do we want our lives to look like?
What kind of legacy are we building?
Where do we feel most at home?
Charleston gave us years of opportunity, growth, and connection—but we were craving more space, more quiet, and a deeper sense of community and intention.
Enter: Port Royal.
We’ll never forget the call about a property here. On July 1, 2020, we drove down to meet the Town Manager. Funny enough—we had joked about that very building “making a great cabinet shop” the year prior during a visit for a Warrior Sailing camp. And there it was, just as we remembered: rough around the edges but full of promise. Concrete floors. Towering ceilings. Light streaming through just enough to let us imagine what could be.
It was raw, industrial, and oddly poetic—like it had been waiting for us to say yes.
Fueled by a healthy dose of determination (and probably too much coffee), we made the leap. After a unanimous vote from Town Council, we dove headfirst into the due diligence process—environmental surveys, architectural plans, fire marshal meetings—the works. We closed on the property in September 2020, and from there, the real work began.
The first big undertaking: installing a new fire suppression system, including underground utilities—no small feat. Meanwhile, we started the three-month move from our Charleston shop: countless trailer loads of equipment, materials, and dust collection systems, all transported with the help of our incredible dream team.
By May 2021, Perrin Woodworking was officially up and running in its new home.
(We’re skipping over a lot of long days and late nights, but you get the point.)
And then came the next chapter—the one we’d whispered about for years. A space that celebrated not just what we make, but how we live.
We poured ourselves into transforming the space. Planning. Demolishing. Rebuilding. Financing. Designing. Sometimes questioning our sanity. Slowly, The Shed began to reflect not just our craft—but our creative philosophy.
By June 2024, we opened the doors to Windhorse Gallery—not just a showroom or extension of our studio, but something entirely new. A love letter to creativity, craftsmanship, and connection. Windhorse wasn’t born from trend or ego. It came from the belief that art and craft deserve to live side by side. That people crave meaning, beauty, and story—not just products, but the heart behind them.
The response from this community has blown us away. From neighbors and fellow small businesses to artists, town leaders, and curious visitors—Port Royal feels like home in every sense of the word.
Time truly flies when you’re doing what you love in a place that feels like it was waiting for you all along. As we celebrate Windhorse’s one-year anniversary, we’re reflecting on the full journey—the risks, the sawdust, the sunsets, the growth... all of it.
Port Royal, thank you for welcoming us with open arms and open hearts. We are endlessly grateful to be woven into the fabric of this cool, coastal, far-from-ordinary town we now call home.
Of course, this is still just the beginning.
We’re dreaming even bigger. Collaborating more deeply. Welcoming new artists. Listening more closely. Saying yes to what matters—and no to the noise.
And if you’re reading this, we hope you’ll stay on the ride with us.
With deep gratitude,
Katy Jo + Dan
(a.k.a. The Perrins)