Linden Sky Boutique: A Madelia Native’s Dream Come True

What you’re drawn to as a child can also be your life’s calling. As a Madelia native and 5th-generation Madelia High School graduate, Laura Sorenson proved this to be true.

When Sorenson was a little girl, instead of playing with her Barbie dolls, she was redecorating, organizing, and coloring the Barbie house to, as she says, “look beautiful.” Growing into her teen years, Sorenson was drawn to art and music, thus graduating college with a degree in music education. As an adult living on her own for the first time, she went back to her childhood love of rejuvenating pieces. Her first home project was painting her kitchen cabinets and wood paneling.

After marrying another Madelia native and purchasing their first home, Sorenson again tapped into her creative side and built their first furniture piece. She knew then she could not ignore her passion for carpentry, and opened Brushed Design Company. Sorenson is now a veteran carpenter, painter, upholster, and home decor aficionado who, as she says, “built a business painting life back into old pieces of furniture, building new pieces, and creating beautiful spaces for clients’ homes.”

Sorenson’s entrepreneurial spirit did not stop with Brushed Design Company. Wanting to expand her offerings, she joined forces with her mother, Julie Pace, and opened Linden Sky Boutique. Sorenson says, “Running a retail store is hard work and I can’t imagine doing it by myself. My mom and I make a great team as we both bring different perspectives to the table.” Linden Sky Boutique features clothing styles for women sizes XS to 3X, babies, children, and teens, along with accessories and home enlightenment products such as candles and soaps.

Sorenson is quite a busy wife, mother, and businesswoman. We asked how she finds the time to do it all. She said, “ …  I’ve built a business heavily based on social media. It’s just me. I don’t have a social media manager. I don’t have any employees. Every post is from me. Every project is my work. Every comment is from me. Every day is different and that’s one of the biggest advantages of owning your own business. My family has always been the number one priority. My kids can often be found hanging out with me in the boutique, and my husband and dad are our resident handymen. I often joke that owning your business is leaving an 8 - 5 to work 24/7! Some days, it feels like I’m working the majority of the day either at the store, on social media, updating our website from home, or out in the shop painting. Yet, if I want to go on vacation, I do. If my kids have an event at school, the store gets a sign on the door saying I’ll be back after the program. One of the biggest things I love about our small town is that no one questions it!”

In May 2023, Sorenson merged Brushed Design Company and Linden Sky Boutique, making Linden Sky Boutique a multi-stop shop benefiting shoppers in many ways. By the end of 2023, Brushed Design Company will be under the same website and social media moniker as Linden Sky Boutique.  

Bring Your Business to Madelia

When asked why Sorenson opened her business in Madelia, she said, “I love our town. Madelia is a wonderful place to have your business, family, and home! Our business community is very special. We aren’t in competition with one another, but work together to make all of our businesses more successful.”

Laura Sorenson is also the vice president of the Madelia Area Chamber of Commerce and sends her personal invitation for you to bring your business to Madelia. Contact MARC today and learn more about moving to or starting your business in Madelia, the Pride of the Prairie.