Southern charm flows in Birmingham stores
Birmingham, Ala., nestled between the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, is home to Talladega Superspeedway, the Birmingham Zoo, Vulcan Park and Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark. Considered a young Southern city, celebrating its 128th anniversary this year, Birmingham has a colorful history.
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Fastest growing metros and their buying power
Each year consumer magazines like Money and Fortune publish lists of the best places to live in the United States based on the economy, crime, population and more. This year, Home Accents Today has compiled an exclusive report on the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the four regions of the country and their buying power for area rugs, lamps, wall decor and decorative pillows/throws.
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Uncommon style in the desert
Moses Zabec is an interior designer turned retailer. He and his wife Terri had a design firm for years and business was good. Their focus was commercial interiors and model homes so when they got their first request to do a residential project, Zabec viewed it almost like a penance, though he's since changed his mind.
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Blooming in Virginia Beach
Terri Marko and Kessy Heath met three months before they decided to open Wild Orchid in the fall of 2003. Heath has a degree in interior design and Marko's background is in advertising, but when these self-proclaimed power shoppers recognized a lack of exceptional home accent stores in their Virginia Beach neighborhoods they decided to do something about it.
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A novel lifestyle store Curious Sofa
Debbie Dusenberry opened her store in 2000 after an almost 20-year career as a photo stylist. Though she'd always been self employed, she was ready for a change and her own store provided an outlet for all of her interests, from the graphic design involved in creating ads, signs and postcards to the art of displays.
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Male customers respond to the warm modernism of Arcanum
Arcanum is an antiques and interior design shop located in the heart of the National Historic Landmark District of Savannah, Ga., known for its masterful mix of antiques, fine art and new home furnishings and accessories. The shop, owned by Phillip Hunter and Sim Harvey, has evolved into an important design resource for the Low country area of both Georgia and South Carolina.
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Ambience that Sells Cobblestone & Vine
Susan Henry started Cobblestone & Vine in Little Rock, Ark., as a hobby 12 years ago in a 10×10 space above an interior design office. She's since moved locations and today, her $2+ million business comprises two stores catering to a higher-end clientele throughout the country. "My husband was busy delivering babies and this had always been my love," Henry said.
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Perfect Bloom
Capturing the essence of the perfect partnership is perhaps the lifelong dream of many business associates, but Jeff Avery and Laurie Elliott, owners of Magnolia in Tampa, Fla., have done just that. Their partnership is the cornerstone to the success of this 4-year-old store that had sales of $600,000 in 2004, doubled its 2003 sales and expects to surpass that in 2005.
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Retail Profile: Color in mind
Like most entrepreneurs, Tamera Matteo didn't start out life with the intention of owning a retail store. She was an advertising director for Ralph Lauren Home Collection living in New York when she and her husband decided they wanted to move outside the city. They visited Princeton, N.J., liked it and decided to stay.
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Thriving on the Unexpected Savanna at Home, Bronxville, N.Y.
"We've had customers tell us some of their favorite things in their homes came from our store," Patty said. "That's a great compliment." Defining the store is difficult. One could say it's a furniture store, though accessories account for 20% of the business, as does Patty's in-home design service. It's a high-end store, though it carries everything from $2 tree ornaments to $18,000 bookcases.
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