3 minute read
ROBERT & WALLACE FINDS ITS FOREVER HOME
Robert & Wallace owner and founder Catherine Anderson offers curated convenience to online shoppers around the country. Now, she’s proud to connect with customers locally in a brick and mortar store in Boise’s Barber Station.
The Trolley Makes A Stop At Barber Station
WORDS BY JAMEY BAUMGARDT
PHOTOS BY KAREN DAY
Catherine Anderson, owner and founder of Robert & Wallace, started her dream business online, offering quarterly subscription boxes. Each box contained curated décor items and a style guide on how to use them to beautify your home. Albeit convenient for customers, Anderson missed the in-person connection. A vintage trolley on Facebook Marketplace offered a unique solution. “We like to say it found me, because I certainly wasn’t looking for one,” Anderson explained. “The trolley was in beautiful condition, so we couldn’t resist.”
The Robert & Wallace trolley debuted in summer 2023 and began rolling into local markets across the valley. The novelty of home décor on wheels resonated with customers in Idaho and Utah. “We were grateful for the amazing response,” Anderson said. It was this person-to-person interaction that offered her the confirmation and courage to open a brick and mortar store.
Robert & Wallace recently opened in Barber Station, the growing retail development near Harris Ranch. With a personalized touch, Anderson selects home furnishings, art, gifts, and necessities that make everyone believe they too can have a “curated” home. She describes her style as “a mix of casual California coastal and Old World European,” incorporating natural elements, hundreds of texture options, mixed metals, and standout pieces like Turkish rugs.
“The incredible landscape surrounding us and the easy-living mentality of our area has naturally evolved our design style,” she said. “The spaces we create feel inviting, casual, yet classic.”
Anderson most enjoys advising her customers on ways to create an interior they love. A home is a sacred space and deserves special attention. Interior designers are welcome too and invited to host their clients in the design services area, featuring every aspect of making a house a vision come to life. Private shopping and design services are available on Mondays by appointment.
Family plays a large role in Anderson’s life and business. Her father drives the trolley and packs online orders and her mom is often behind the sales desk. Robert & Wallace is named after her late grandfathers, who were craftsmen and businessmen. Countless members of her immediate and extended family—aunts, uncles, cousins, and her mother-in-law— participated in the opening.
“We quickly recognized the need for home furnishings in this growing community,” she explained. “I knew there was a hunger for the design style that I could offer.” Even if you don’t need a thing for your home, Robert & Wallace now offers “how-to” classes in table settings, candle making, and creating the perfect holiday charcuterie board.
