QUINCY — The holidays used to be a time of busy stores and afternoon outings.
There was something about decorated stores and hurrying shoppers ducking into little shops that had engrained itself into the very fabric of the season. Thanksgiving décor by Halloween, Christmas stuff up by Thanksgiving. For those of us born and raised in the era before Amazon, the holiday season was Ralphie staring hopefully into a frosted store window.
But then we all got computers and then phones and online shopping drove a truck through that frosted store front. The warm and rich, orangy glow of my idyllic childhood recollection seemed to be shoved through an early 90s fax machine and the only in-person experiences that remained were Cyber Mondays, Black Friday blitzes in grey Walmarts, shoving and elbowing for badly made TVs. At least that’s how it feels.
But over the past few seasons the in-person experience seems to be launching a comeback tour. Bazaars, bodegas, boutiques and new stores are dotting the Quincy landscape and people seem anxious to have a tactile experience. Enhanced Design, a shop specializing in handmade décor, is one such shop.
I reached out to the owner, Paige Houston, to better understand how she was navigating the choppy waters of this reemerging market and here’s what she had to say:
I have always had a love for everything art since I was young. The older I got, the more I realized that I was letting that passion get lost in the busyness of life. I wanted to find a way to continue doing art besides just gifting it to family members. At about the same time, I was starting to dream about working for myself. I started Enhanced Designs a little over two years ago, and it started as a simple handmade door hanger and Facebook post. The more I sold, the more I realized that I would love to grow this business into something great! I then quickly developed the dream of owning my own store front. My business continued to grow, so I was balancing keeping up with that and working full-time, and it just wasn’t working. In the Spring, I started keeping my eye out for store fronts open, which is when I really got antsy. I figured it was now or never. I received the keys to my space at 1836 Broadway in June 2024, spent almost two months redoing the inside to match my style, and had my official opening August 4th. My goal of this store and my business is to handmake as much as I can while also offering custom orders. I’m a realist and know that there are not enough hours in the day to handmake every single thing to fill a large store!
In-store, besides my handmade decor, you will also find other handmade products from local vendors and other fun home decor and gift options. My vendors include Fatty K’s, Midwest Moms Co., Slip Stitch Simmons, Air Roma, Sleepytime Crochet, Raindrops and Sunshine Children’s Boutique, and The Beads Knees. I also feature a Door Hanger Bar with a three-part interchangeable design.
Enhanced Design will be hosting a Ladies’ Night Out – Halloween Edition on October 25 from 4:30 – 8:30 pm. They will have light snacks and drinks, with deals, games and giveaways throughout the evening. Handmade wares, lots of local vendors, a brick and mortar store where I can see the things I want to buy before I buy them, and the knowledge that I’m keeping my money l local has me sold on this new spot.
Visit her Facebook page where she posts her weekly hours and stop in Enhanced Designs located at 1836 Broadway in Quincy.
