By Heather Lusk
One year ago, Stefanie Childs and Lindsay Lyon had an idea to sell shabby-chic style clothing and home accessories online.
Their “endgame” was to eventually open a shop in Zionsville, but “we never even dreamed we would find a storefront (so soon),” Childs said. “It’s been such a whirlwind, and we can hardly keep up.”
On Oct. 1 they held a grand opening of their retail store, Blooms & Linen Boutique, at 40 E. Poplar St., Zionsville.
This has been their third location since the website went live in February. They first stored their inventory in Child’s basement but found it challenging to serve customers who wanted to try on items. In May, they moved into an office space in the Village of West Clay that currently serves as storage.
Child’s husband spotted a rental sign off of Main Street and encouraged the ladies to explore it. Within a week, they had signed the lease and were able to move their inventory directly from their planned booth at Fall Festival.
The shift to a new location has been a shift in their aesthetic.
“Our styles have evolved quite a bit since we started,” said Lyon, who called their current look “boho free spirit” and Childs called it “rustic bohemian.”
“With a touch of vintage (inspiration),” added Lyon, a Zionsville resident.
“We have a space we can clearly decorate and decide where we can go with it now,” Childs said. “We can see what our customers really want.”
They agree that their clothes work for a range of ages and functions. “We want everyone to feel welcome when they walk in,” Lyons said. They encourage shoppers to relax on the couch at their shop and socialize.
“Part of our goal is making women feel beautiful with what God’s made them to be,” said Childs, who lives in Indianapolis.
Store hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, but they said they expect to add hours as they ease into a schedule. They offer private Sip-and-Shop parties on Thursday nights by reservation for women to shop with a group of friends. Store hours will be updated on their Facebook page or website, bloomsandlinen.com.
