INSTORE Readers Share Their Favorite Parts of Their Stores

question:

What is your favorite feature of your store and why?

• I love that our workroom is in our basement accessed by a fireman’s ladder. A 15-foot slant. We traverse it every day ,and customers freak because it is literally a hole in the floor in the office. They see people “rising” out of the basement. No one can tell how many actual employees are in the store at any given time. We love it! — Denise O., La Grange, IL
• Our back entrance is through our garden. It’s so beautiful that people bring others just to show them our garden and take photos! — Debbie F., Ventura, CA
• Our wall cases from the 1800s: solid oak with glass fronts that open up on a pulley system, carved details, impressive craftsmanship, modifications made over the years to add lights and mirrors, and have traveled with the business over multiple location changes throughout the years. They’re both gorgeous and a good story! — Jennifer H., Bozeman, MT
• We’re in a Civil-War-era building. I love our exposed brick walls, our Bradbury & Bradbury frieze and each of our chandeliers. — Theresa P., Edgewater, CO
• Our building features windows, windows and more windows. The light is great for selling jewelry and watching the day change. — Laura S., Indianapolis, IN
• Exterior: bright yellow building with porch. Interior: my store still has the footprint of a home. — Laura P., St. Robert, MO
• Pictures on my walls of clients and their kids. Makes me happy. — Atalie F., Chicago, IL
• Having a boutique and wine bar makes every visit an adventure. — Karen H., Batavia, IL
• My favorite feature of our store’s exterior is our Christmas lights throughout winter. The lighting makes the store stand out and sparkle (almost) like a diamond. — Beth G., Binghamton, NY
• I have 15-foot ceilings and six 8-foot windows facing east and north. SO MUCH space and natural light! — Janne E., Cocoa, FL
• I love the waterfall we had 30 years ago, but after a decade, it leaked and no one I hired could fix it. — Alexander R., Brockton, MA
• We have a separate area of the store with a full bar that has a beer tap system. It is a great space just next to the showroom that is excellent for caterers and bartenders to set up for special events. It is also a nice space for staff to sit and relax with a cocktail after a busy day. — Eric S., West Springfield, MA
• Our chandelier gets the most compliments in our store’s design, I think because it is elegant without feeling stuffy. It is a great centerpiece that sets the tone we are going for, of classy and down-to-earth jewelers! — Kyle B., Roswell, NM
• The fact that my grandparents hand built the original building (part was the storefront and their house), and the history that comes with that since 1948. — Stacey G., Edson, AB
• Our drive-thru window. Reminds customers that serving their needs is important to us. Thanks go out to the late Woody Justice. He encouraged us to keep it when we bought a bank building. — Bill E., Terre Haute, IN
• Interior, my white Christmas decor adding a Menorah. Exterior, alll my decor is beautiful red roses and green with Santa mailbox included. — Liliana M., East Patchogue, NY
• The interior of our 1758 building is fairly eclectic. The colonial hearth is surrounded by a few handmade Art Nouveau showcases filled with some Etruscan style jewelry. Go figure! — Steven W., Chatham, MA
• Entryway of stained glass and green marble from 1928. — Eileen E., Decatur, IN
• I love the way, after 50 years in business, we’ve never managed to buy any solid furniture for our shop area (other than the bench) and instead rely on TV tray tables. Rickety, flimsy, TV tables. Tables that topple at the slightest collision. Tables that don’t provide any surface area. Tables that offer no storage options underneath (even though we desperately need storage). And I love the fact that $89 and a trip to Ikea could solve this problem. And I love that my thoughts on this matter cut no mustard whatsoever. Basically, I love everything about our store’s embrace of a complete TV tray table gestalt. — Gretchen S., Sherman Oaks, CA
• Vintage 1862 oak plank floors. — Stew B., Natick, MA
• I love our cases! We use a more contemporary style of showcase (combined with traditional) that open from the front and museum cubes to highlight special pieces. It makes for a great flow and helps to keep styles in “collections”. I especially love the way the decor flows for Christmas. — Becky B., Peabody, MA
• We get compliments all the time on how nice our studio looks and how comfortable it makes people feel. Lots of beautiful wood, tall cases, natural light and gem colors make it inviting. We also have pollinator gardens around the studio, and we are a National Monarch Wayfair Garden supporting the monarch butterfly migration. — Jo G., Oconomowoc, WI
• We have an old Seth Thomas 30-day clock. It was originally used in the local train station. When the train station closed down, it was given to our local watch repairman. When he retired several years ago, our store got it. It’s a statement. The history of it is neat. We’ve gotten many offers on it, but it’s not for sale. — Aimee F., Crawfordsville, IN
• I have a spacious foyer area where clients can sit, sip coffee, and look at my antique tools collection. It is a cozy place to draw designs for them and discuss what they want to buy. I LOVE my tile floor in the bench room. It makes the space look large, clean, and organized. — Susan M., Dunedin, FL
• Our little Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame in one corner of our showroom. We have some signed things from national acts, local artists, etc. It started with some signed Red Hot Chili Peppers items (Anthony Kiedis’s mom shops in our store), and it grew from there. Great conversation starter for folks of our vintage — they start recollecting when they saw a band perform, etc. — Cliff Y., Lowell, MI