If you’re looking for quality country furnishings, one-of-a-kind items and household d’cor, Lisa’s Country Cupboard is the place to go.
Owner Lisa Durham offers something for everyone.
‘A lot of country stores tend to focus on just primitive or shabby chic or cottage,? said Durham, who purchased the store from a previous owner last fall. ‘This store is all country and it’s for all tastes of country.?
After a top-to-bottom cleaning and some significant changes’not only the store’s merchandise line but also the layout and display’Durham opened her doors November 3.
‘This is my dream,? she said. ‘I always wanted to have a country store.?
Durham’s passion and commitment to the new endeavor is obvious throughout the store, and it shows in her excitement about a new line of primitive reproduction furniture created by a skilled out-of-state craftsman.
‘It’s beautiful furniture,? she said. ‘So many stores sell reproductions, but this guy is great, he’s really an artist with the reproductions.?
The store was primarily focused on antiques before it changed hands, with a few new and handmade items.
‘Lisa changed every room,? said employee Dawn Rossell, who worked in the store for two years before Durham took over. ‘We still have some antiques, but Lisa goes to the markets and the shows and brings in more one-of-a-kind country items instead of your usual run-of-the-mill items.?
The store now carries more bedroom items, such as linens, quilts and pillows, she noted.
Not without her own contributions to the store, Rossell offers a number of handmade items for sale, including dolls, scrapbooks, painted pieces, seasonal items. Her samplers are hugely popular with customers.
‘Dawn’s been right there with me all along,? Durham said. ‘She’s very talented and I was lucky she stayed on.?
The frequent arrival of new merchandise keeps the store fresh. Seasonal items are also in abundant supply’once Easter displays come down, new summer gardening displays will go up.
‘We try to change things every couple weeks,? said Rossell. ‘A lot of customers come back often to see the new items, and many use those ideas in their own house.?
Both women like to make shopping at Lisa’s Country Cupboard a fun experience for customers, and if Durham doesn’t have what a customer is looking for, she’ll go out of her way to find it.
She also created a mailing list, and offers frequent specials ‘just because.? Gift certificates and layaway are also available.
‘Customers come first,? she said. ‘Without them I don’t have a business. We want repeat customers and we want them to be happy and tell their friends about us.?
Before opening Lisa’s Country Cupboard, Durham spent most of her working hours in a business started by her father when she was just 13.
But, while she enjoyed working closely with family, Durham said something was missing.
‘I didn’t want to be a secretary my whole life or bookkeeper,? she said. ‘I wanted to do something I love, and I love this.?
Those strong family bonds, however, are still important.
‘There’s no way I could do this without my husband Jason,? she said. ‘He has done so much for the store. He’s here on his lunch hour, after work on weekends’it’s very much a joint venture for him and I even though he has his own job.?
Durham said her mother, Patricia Traynor, has also been a huge help around the store, as have her three boys, Ryan, Alex and Cody Johnson.
Lisa’s Country Cupboard, located at 5268 Dixie Highway, is open M-W-F 10-5. Call 248-623-6858 for more information.