Customers told me they liked my Collection because it was not what they could find anywhere else. I remained active attending trade shows and sourcing new lines and quality products, from local artisans, Canadian manufacturers, as well as products from abroad. Business continued to grow, but not in a way I’d ever imagined. More and more, customers wanted me to see their homes – from modest cottages to spectacular homes, sometimes newly built houses, or condominiums needing refurbishing, once even a farm house. I always started with their budget, then worked with their own tastes and preferences to ensure that the tables and chairs, carpets and drapes, paintings and lamps, beds and tapestries, and so on, meshed with their ability to pay and their long-term enjoyment of their personal living space. Demand for my consulting and sourcing services spread to Toronto, southern Ontario, across Canada, and into the United States – thanks to the connection people from all these places have with vacationland Muskoka.
I loved my store and I treasured working with people at their homes, but having moved to Bracebridge from Huntsville and unable to clone myself, I had to choose. On December 31, 2013 I closed the door of Veranda in Huntsville. Less than a year later, I missed having a shop and meeting new customers, so I opened a new shop at 24 Manitoba St. in downtown Bracebridge, Ontario. The building is gorgeous and used to belong to the Bracebridge chapter of the Odd Fellows. In April of 2015, I finished renovating their meeting hall on the second floor and Veranda opened a new upstairs showroom in the historic building.
With the success of the Lodge, I wanted to do more. The entire experience left a desire to continue renovating and improving the downtown core, so, I bought the adjoining empty building and expanded once more in June of 2016. The new building allowed us to open two new floors at Veranda, each with their own look. We now have four galleries at Veranda, each hosting a full collection of furnishings and accessories for everyone: Home, Lodge, Cottage, and Retreat. Make sure you tell us your favourite part next time you visit!
I look forward to seeing you at the new store!
Elise Boyer
Owner, Veranda Collection
