Duluth artists see boost in business from ‘Love is Blind’

DULUTH, Minnesota — The couple behind Bailey Builds is feeling the love thanks to the hit Netflix show “Love is Blind.” 

Season 8 of Love is Blind premiered on Netflix on Feb. 14 and follows singles from Minneapolis. Friday, viewers will find out which couples ended up getting married. 

This season features highlights of the Twin Cities — from the restaurants to the best date night spots. But it’s also giving a larger platform to some Minnesota artists. 

“It was wild because I’m a huge Love is Blind fan,” said Anna Bailey. 

Anna discovered her passion for wood mosaic art about a decade ago. It started when she didn’t want to spend $300 for a patio chair, so she decided to build her own. 

“I just started to learn how to use power tools,” Anna recalled. “Then once I really got into it, there was a lot of scrap wood on the ground and I didn’t want the scrap wood to go to waste. So I was trying to think of creative ways to use the leftovers and I started to manipulate them and shape them to make artwork for the walls. As I started to do that, I just got a lot of engagement and interaction on social media.” 

Anna’s husband, Nathanael Bailey, joined in two years later. 

Bailey Builds has been around and based in Duluth for nearly 10 years. 

Last year, Saved by Grace Home Staging and Design in Minneapolis contacted the couple about an opportunity. 

“In the initial e-mail contact, all I got was a big Netflix TV show and filming in Minneapolis. So honestly, I kind of just started sleuthing and there were already kind of rumors that maybe Love is Blind was going to get filmed in Minneapolis,” Anna said. 

Anna eventually confirmed her suspicions when signing a non-disclosure agreement. 

Bailey Builds was asked to provide its artwork to display at the apartments where the couples stayed during filming. They helped stage the apartments with 70 of their pieces. 

“There’s some very popular scenes with Joey and Monica. We sat in the same couch in front of that artwork and got pictures. So we were actually the first Love is Blind people… the first Love is Blind couple on the couch,” Nathanael said. 

Anna added, “We’ve just been married 25 years.” 

For a year, the couple had to keep the news a secret. 

“We do lot of art fairs throughout the Midwest and actually across the country. So it’s hard not to tell everybody that’s in your booth like… ‘This exact piece was actually on Love is Blind,'” Nathanael said. 

But once viewers reached the Love is Blind episodes that feature their artwork, Anna said the calls and direct messages started flooding in with fans recognizing their pieces. 

“That honestly has been one of the biggest surprises, I think, for me as an artist but then also the largest compliment,” Anna said. 

Cast members have also contacted the couple. 

“We were on our way to a movie last night, and I picked up my phone, and I got a text from Joey,” Anna said. 

The Baileys are hoping to give each cast member a piece of art from their apartments. 

“We definitely have seen an increase of sales,” Anna said. “Honestly, this time of year for us as artists… is slow. So to have this come at this time has been very helpful to help pay the bills.”

For viewers who want a piece of the artwork featured on the show in their own homes, Bailey Builds has launched the “As Seen on Love is Blind: Exclusive Collection.” Customers who purchase one statement piece at $500+ will receive a surprise Love is Blind piece ($150 value). 

You can also visit them at their shop in Duluth. 

Bailey Builds & Friends
601 N. 56th W
Duluth, MN 55807