Amy Scott is hoping her first impression turns out to be long-lasting.
The Hinsdale resident opened her Curated by Amy Scott business Tuesday, April 16 at 2 S. Prospect Ave., in downtown Clarendon Hills, taking over a storefront that has been vacant since Quinn’s Coffee House closed on Dec. 31, 2016. That closing ended a run of 30-plus years in business for the Quinns.
And, so far, so very good, Scott said two days after opening her store.
“I’m blown away by the community support,” she said. “So many residents have told me how happy they are to have a new business in their town, and I’ve already had such a warm welcome from the small business owners in town.”
Curated By Amy Scott opened in the former Quinn’s Coffee House space in Downtown Clarendon Hills. (Photo courtesy of Amy Scott)
Scott said she was gifted a beautiful planter from the English Garden Flower Shop for the front of her store and a custom-made indoor/outdoor entryway rug from Carpet Showcase.
“I was styled by the lovely manager at Vintage Charm and found a beautiful dress and earrings to wear for my opening day,” Scott said. “I’ve been to the hardware store too many times, with needing so many things to get my shop open, and have been enjoying all the restaurants, too. I’m looking forward to supporting all the businesses in town and collaborating with them.”
Scott said there were a few factors that appealed to her about moving into the former Quinn’s space.
“I love the character and location of the storefront,” she said. “I love the proximity to my home and all the businesses on Prospect Avenue. My youngest child is a student at Hinsdale Central, and I love that she can pop over after school and be a part of this with me. I thought it would be a great fit.”
Scott said she sells vintage items, antique and new home decor, furniture, artwork, candles, lighting, plants, clothing, jewelry, and handbags at her store.
“I especially love to have one-of-a-kind items,” she said. “My favorite item in the shop is a vintage spice rack that was missing some lids. I turned it into a propagation station for plant clippings.
“I love to be green by reusing items. I’d rather fix something, paint an item or find a new way to use something that otherwise would end up in the trash.”
Scott said visitors to Curated by Amy Scott can expect a curated collection of items she personally selected that are “unique and beautiful.”
“I hope the vignettes I create in the store will inspire my customers,” she said. “I tend to put things together in an unpredictable way and believe that it is not what you have, but how you have it. Styling helps to highlight the items I sell.”
Scott has been working as an interior designer for more than 20 years and offers home design services along with what is in her store.
“I also have fabrics, if anyone needs to recover furniture, and can create custom pillows,” she said. “I’m hoping to be a resource to my customers. I’m also planning to highlight local artists. I’m a budding artist myself and have some of my own art for sale in the store. I’m planning to expand what I sell, and I’ll also be hosting workshops of all kinds.”
Scott said she has heard about Quinn’s Coffee House, a former downtown Clarendon Hills fixture, from many people.
“My landlord shared a great photo from the original storefront,” she said. “I love that so many people in town are sharing stories and their memories.”
Some village officials and staff had been concerned about finding a business to take over the vacated Quinn’s space because of building code requirements to which a new business would have to abide.
“I was up for a challenge,” Scott said. “I could see the space had potential without doing a major renovation. I appreciate and love the character and history. My husband and I looked at multiple locations, but knew I wanted to be at this location.”
Village Manager Zach Creer said the village worked closely with Scott before her lease was signed to make sure she could operate without costly code-required building changes.
“Amy, to her credit, was able to get a business in the space without a large build-out,” he said. “In many ways, it was a perfect fit.”
Scott said she used “a cosmetic approach” to get the space ready to open.
“The power of paint will take you far,” she said. “My husband and I laid carpet tiles over the existing flooring. I put a bookcase in front of one of the walls that was pretty rough, and now it’s not an issue.”
Scott’s experience with interior design came in very handy as did the generosity of a professional colleague, La Grange resident Ed Mattingly of Mattingly Paint, who painted the space at no charge.
“My experience designing with low budgets, while giving a space a high-end look, is what I strive to do,” Scott said. “I think the store is beautiful.”
Scott said she will post information about things she’s offering on social media — Facebook and Instagram — under Amy Scott Interior Design.
While she is thrilled with the opening of her store, Scott also is very excited about its future.
“I have so much planned,” she said. “I don’t want to be only brick and mortar. My professional background is in education, as I taught for 11 years before starting my own design business.
“I’ve been in the design business for 22 years. I’ve had a retail space for over 10 years at Jackson Square Mall in LaGrange and still have a small space open there. I really enjoy retail.”
Scott said she also still loves to teach and plans to offer workshops at her new Clarendon Hills store.
“I’m excited that I have a backspace to accommodate a workshop and use as a design studio,” she said. “I’ve been collaborating with others, so I can offer a variety of art/DYI/design classes, too.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
