Somewhere Ages and Ages Hence
Madison & Muse is now in its eighth year. It's been such an adventure. We opened the shop, inspired by the small French shops we visited on holiday. There was nothing big box about them. They were an eclectic mix of old and new, charming and slightly eccentric. They spoke to my love of linen, small pleasures and appreciation of beauty.
If we look back at our earliest shop photos, it's embarrassing how empty the store was. We had armoires filled with Belgian linen, buffets with French soap and scented candles, vignettes of whiteware, chalk painted furniture and generous walking space in-between. We invested early proceeds back into the shop to expand our selections and our little shop blossomed. On holidays, we rearranged the shop, hung racks and shelves to feature a new product category: clothing. Possibly pre-determined, the clothing was linen, of course, and our customers responded so positively. Not everyone loves linen but those who do, really love it.
At the five year mark, the business next to ours went under and not withstanding a tinge of guilt, we pounced on their space. It was a golden opportunity to expand our booming clothing collections. What had been crammed into three French armoires now expanded into its own space. Our linen collections were augmented by quality clothing from Sweden, the U.S and Canada. Like bunnies, those collections repopulated quickly to include collections from Denmark, Spain, France, Germany and other European countries.
Two years on from the start of our clothing expansion, we now find our clothing sales are exponentially higher than our home decor, something we hadn't dared to imagine. What will another five years bring? You never know what's further down the road or even right around the corner so the journey itself has to be the major motivation. What a fabulous trip it's been so far.
Thanks for traveling with us!