Shopowner Paige King's 20 years of experience as a military spouse honed her thrifty decorating and shopping skills.

Becoming a shopowner was something Paige first pursued after Darren was deployed to Iraq in 2002. The Kings had been assigned to Ft. Campbell, Ky., and once they purchased a home in nearby Clarksville, Tenn., they fell in love with the area and decided to stay put for awhile — difficult to do while on active duty, Paige said, but not unheard of.

Confident that her 20 years of experience as a military spouse helped hone her thrifty decorating and shopping skills, King began taking courses through the Tennessee Small Business Development Center. Her husband encouraged her to start looking for a good rental location and by November 2004 Hodgepodge was open for business.

"We started in a small location — learned a lot about dealing with landlords — then purchased our own building in 2005. The move more than doubled our square footage, which I happily filled with more inventory," King said.

Like many independent retailers, Hodgepodge's sales suffered during the first half of this year, but King was hit with the double whammy of dealing with her spouse and business partner's deployment to Iraq. Fortunately, sales have picked up and are now running almost even with 2008. Best of all, Darren returned home, safe and sound, in late October.

"We knew when we opened the shop that there would be some separations and, inevitably, this would include a deployment or two," King said. "I have to say, however, I wasn't expecting a deployment to coincide with a recession. It's been a busy year to say the least, so I had plenty to keep my mind distracted from the danger Darren was facing and our separation."

New merchandise is mixed with vintage or reproduction furniture to show customers how they can mix what they've already got with the newer items.

Open since 2004, Hodgepodge offers mid-priced lines in 2,400 square feet of selling space. Home accents are devoted to 80% of space and in 2008 accounted for 65% of total sales. Hodgepodge was named to Home Accents Today's Retail Stars list in May 2009.

Describe your store: Hodgepodge is located in the historic district of Clarksville in a building built in the 1880s. The building spans an entire block, so it can be entered from Franklin Street or Strawberry Alley. The Franklin Street entrance is flanked by display windows with eye-catching vignettes. Inside, items are arranged in room-like settings. Most of my large furniture items are vintage or custom-made to look vintage. This is done intentionally to show the customers how to mix what they've already got with the newer items.

What makes you different? I hope my customers feel like they're visiting with friends when they arrive at Hodgepodge. I try to get to know everyone. My sales staff is exceptional — very friendly and talented. Hodgepodge has a unique inventory which isn't trendy, but always feels new. We're constantly shifting displays to keep it interesting.

King keeps things casual, but constantly shifts displays to maintain interest.

Describe your customers: 30 to mid-50s. Most have established homes and styles. They appreciate the opportunity to browse without a hovering sales associate, but know we're available to offer assistance. They enjoy shopping for themselves, but also shop Hodgepodge for gifts for friends and family. The casual style of the inventory and shopping experience make our customers comfortable.

How do you reach your customers? I have a regular ad in a local magazine. Newspaper advertising hasn't done much for me. I've run commercials on local cable and feel they are effective. The best methods have been my Web site, e-newsletters and blog, especially for keeping in touch with my existing customers. I co-host a weekly radio show promoting our downtown area, write a bi-monthly feature decorating article for the local magazine, and host special events in the shop throughout the year.

What's the most enjoyable part of your job? Working with customers is my absolute joy. I love meeting the visitors to Clarksville, but I especially love getting to know my repeat customers — their children and spouses, their styles, their plans — all of it. It's a great way to feel like part of the community. I enjoy the creative aspects of my job, too. I love seeing my plans for a new merchandising idea come to fruition.

Annual sales: Less than $1 million

Home accent categories: Accent furniture, lamps, lighting, wall decor, decorative pillows, throws, permanent botanicals, tabletop, garden accessories and other decorative accessories.

Tradeshows/markets you shop: I shop Atlanta's Americasmart and have never been to another market. I am convinced I can find anything there. I really enjoy the seminars, so I try to attend as many as I can.

Key vendors: America Retold, Creative Co-Op, CBK, Park Hill, Two's Company, Mary Carol Garrity, Midwest, local artisans

Web site: hodgepodge-home.com