This month we welcome a new group of retailers to Home Accents Today's Retail Advisory Board and offer a big round of applause to our outgoing board members, whose insights, feedback and story ideas during the past few years were surpassed only by the great conversation shared during our market luncheons. We look forward to the same from our new board members, who are presented here in alphabetical order:

Marilyn Hansen, Designers Furniture Gallery, Omaha, Neb. — Marilyn first appeared in our pages in the January 2007 retail profile, in which she shared the story of how she handled the discovery that an employee had stolen a substantial amount of funds from the store. Marilyn, a 32-year member of the American Society of Interior Designers, typically spends about a fifth of her work week running the store and the rest of her time on design projects off-site. With the help of the police, the mystery was solved, the case went to court, the now former employee was put on a payback plan, and Marilyn made some managerial and operational changes to protect her and the store. Besides running a successful business, Marilyn is active in community, cultural and civic organizations and dispenses advice on her local ABC-TV affiliate.

Abby Kerr, The Blissful, Canton, Ohio — Abby, her shop and her chocolate polka-dotted blog pages first came to our attention as a 2008 Retail Stars nominee. This former high school English teacher writes two blogs for two different audiences — shopkeepers like herself, and the friends and customers who frequent her eclectic showplace of European and French-inspired furnishings. At boutiqueindustry.blogspot.com, she shares the “ups, downs, joys, pratfalls, decisions and moments of destiny” of running a small retail operation. Topics range from how to start such an operation to how to make the most of your store's charitable donations to advice for surviving the downturns. Lettres from The Blissful at theblissful.blogspot.com keeps customers and friends updated about new products and shop happenings while reinforcing the tasteful, unpretentious boutique brand of The Blissful.

Tara Riceberg, Tweak, Beverly Hills, Calif. — Tara is an expert at assisting her time-strapped, quality-conscious clientele with instant decorating tweaks and shortcut shopping. Her new shop incorporates the experience and lessons learned from years working alongside her mother at their former shop, Tesoro. Tara's high-energy personality and smart solutions have found their way to print, television and panel discussions. On her Web site, tweakamerica.com, there's a fun video montage of Tara in action including clips of her delivering instant “Botox” injections for the house and helping her busy cousin Paula Abdul select a few gifts from the store's shelves.

Rich Schell and Greg Wragge, Rich Designs, Colorado Springs, Colo. — I had the pleasure of lunching with Rich and Greg earlier this year when they were in town for the High Point Market — their first visit to the show. Profiled in the July 2008 issue, Rich Designs has operated since 1987 as a retail/design business that does double duty as a fine art gallery and floral design boutique. “We maintain the highest level of each category for the maximum look and setting, using furniture to set the mood and accenting with fine art, fresh flowers, plants, lamps, accent tables and decorative accessories,” Schell said. Schell and Wragge only recently began adding furniture to the mix, hence their trip to High Point. Their 6,000-sq.-ft. building sits on a full acre of landscaped gardens. They maintain a strong local presence by hosting several major events each year and through extensive donations of time, dollars and product for community fund-raising events.

Christi Tullis, Ambiance Interiors & Gifts, Inc., Suwanee, Ga. — Christi works alongside her mother, Pamela Reeves, in a 130-year-old pink cottage surrounded by gardens and old oak trees. Their shop, profiled in the April 2007 issue, enjoys a local reputation for elegant, exotic and exquisite furnishings and gifts, showcased in settings such as The Art Room, which mixes modern art and accessories with antique reproduction furniture and The Tudor Room, where larger scale furniture is paired with Tudor and custom pieces. Tea parties in the garden, Yappy Hour for doggies and fashion doll parties, hosted by Christi's daughter, Macy, are just a few of the events that keep things interesting. Christi, the store's head designer and visual merchandiser, keeps it all looking great.

Kathy Walsh, Homeward Bound, West Hartford, Conn. — Most of the merchandise that fills Kathy's three stores is from organic, sustainable, socially responsible sources. “Green is where my heart is … and beautiful, high-end products that make my customers happy and help make the world a better place,” she said in our January 2008 retail profile. Homeward Bound's motto, Interior Harmony, refers to the stores' mission to help customers find harmony in their interior spaces with home furnishings, and within themselves through fashion and personal care products. After graduating from New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, Kathy developed her merchandising talent as a buyer for Bloomingdale's, Henri Bendel and Barneys. In later years she applied her skills to interiors and furnishings at ABC Carpet & Home. Today, her well-defined lifestyle presentation not only sells, but invites inquiries from the local media who turn to her for advice on eco-friendly trends in home furnishings and gifts.

To comment on this story, please write to me at susan.dickenson@reedbusiness.com or share your thoughts on my blog at HomeAccentsToday.com.