A New House of Their Own Houndstooth House Expands to New Home

BY MARY MICHAELS | PHOTOS BY JULIE PRAIRIE PHOTOGRAPHY

Denise Cotter and Michelle Marino have worked on countless residential and commercial design and redesign projects over the years. Last fall, they got the chance to work on a particularly exciting project… designing a new home for their business, Houndstooth House.

The pair has come a long way from their early beginnings in 2005, as working moms trying to launch their design business. Their hard work and persistence, though, took them from working out of their cars to a 2,000-square-foot storefront. When they realized they needed room to grow, they didn’t have to look far. The building next door became available, and it was the right opportunity at the right time. And, it gave them five times the space.

Being part of an industry that is everchanging with new products and design ideas, the designers were excited about the opportunity for more room to showcase not only their design ideas, but also a wide array of home décor and gift items.

Before they could build their dream space, they had to start with some demolition. Wanting to make the space as big and airy as possible, Marino and Cotter enlisted their husbands for some of the heavy work. And, once the main level was completely emptied, the creative rebuilding could begin.

With such a great blank canvas, they knew they could also feature big-scale wallpaper in their design. The two say they spent six weeks looking for “the right thing,” wanting a wallpaper that would make a statement yet still be timeless. That right thing came along in the form of a navy blue “splattered” print that covers the walls as you enter the store –including the two oversized metal doors that open into the showroom. When it comes to prints, their design tip to remember is that with a big-scale print, you can do more on top – like artwork – and the two won’t compete and look too busy, as it might if you have a smaller print.

Marino and Cotter invested in new windows for the three walls of the main showroom, then added partial walls to create vignettes to feature bedroom ideas, living room arrangements, dining sets, textile and color combinations and so much more. Guests at the store get a hands-on, sensory experience of sitting in chairs, touching the textiles on chairs or bedding, seeing how fabrics look in the natural light from the windows or next to a lamp, learning how light fixtures add to the look and feel of a room and even smelling the array of candles and reed diffusers that are available for purchase.

The expansive shoppable space means customers can find shapes and styles they like – from sofas or occasional chairs to dining sets – and then spend time in the Houndstooth House library to find the right fabric and color. It would be easy to lose track of time in that library, perusing the shelves filled with wallpaper books and fabric swatches. And now, with additional space downstairs for inventory, if something sells off the floor upstairs, the designers can bring up something new – so items in the store are always changing. Keeping things new and fresh has always been a focus for Cotter and Marino as they work with clients. Their approach is to get to know their clients’ likes and dislikes, to understand the desired function of the space and then provide the help that is needed. Sometimes, that might be just a little room refresh with a new rug, artwork or throw pillows. At other times, it is a design-fromsquare-one that includes helping a client select everything from millwork and paint colors to flooring and window coverings.

And now, they have more room to do all of that work, with the larger library, space to stage current projects and a conference room where they can use the flatscreen TV on the wall to pull up floor plans with clients and work through the creative process.

The two agree that the accelerated timeline for the demo and redesign of their new location wasn’t exactly ideal – just July to October last year – but they were excited to be open in time for the holidays, especially with their expanded line of home décor and gift items.

Houndstooth House has a wine license, for example, so you can shop for new glassware and package that up with a bottle of wine –most of which are priced in the $20 range. The designers say they are completely happy to have a customer call and say they need a bottle of wine for dinner, and then simply pull up in the front curved drive to pick it up. The bar area in the store, complete with a custom Cambria counter that highlights the green cabinet, displays a beautiful collection of glassware and stemware for your own home or to give as a gift.

Throughout the store, you can find unique items like their Illume candles or remotecontrol flameless candles, rechargeable lighters, photo frames, vases and more. Throughout the month of February, Houndstooth House is showcasing local art.

Their desire is to introduce customers to the many local artists working in the area and to show how easy it can be to add unique, custom art to your home or office.

Be sure to follow Houndstooth House on social media for updates on new items and special events. You can also join their email list to be sure you don’t miss out on any news. And, most important, the designers want you to come visit their new house.

Hours

Monday-Thursday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturday: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

101 W. 37th Street Sioux Falls, SD 57105 (605) 271-2278 info@HoundstoothHouse.com

Look for our entrance on Phillips Ave (and 37th)