Stacie Swederska-McDaniels, owner of Paisley Boutique in Webster Groves, considers herself a shopkeeper first and foremost. “I’m not an online store. We don’t have a website and I have no desire to be online,” she says. “We’re about the shopping experience.”
Her new women’s fashion and lifestyle store at 36 West Lockwood is a reflection of that ethos. The 3,600- square-foot shop features a central seating area, large fitting rooms designed to accommodate groups, and a personal styling lounge where clients are invited to host parties and events. The space makes shopping anything but transactional.
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Paisley had occupied a building down the street since 2012, but when Swederska-McDaniels heard that the Acme Printing building was for sale, she jumped at the opportunity. “This building checked a lot of boxes,” she says. “It allowed us to stay in Webster, it tripled our space and, since we would own the building, it gave me the creative freedom to do what I wanted to make it ours.”
A year-long renovation of the 100-year-old building followed. Swederska-McDaniels chose to gut the old space, install new walls, floors, ceilings and the addition of a large skylight in the middle of the store. The exterior color was painted a moody, charcoal blue to complement the interior design.
Swederska-McDaniels designed the space herself but took advice from her father, a period restorer and contractor. “My dad gave us these great ideas to help retain the integrity and aesthetics of the old building, while making it feel new, clean, and fresh,” she says. Natural light floods the store, and oak floors and off-white walls and cabinets allow the clothes, home goods, accessories, and shoes to shine. “I wanted a Mediterranean look—think upscale island vibes. I spend a lot of time here and so I wanted it to feel like I’m on vacation,” says Swederska-McDaniels. The exposed beam ceiling mirrors the original, which was discovered during the demolition phase and rebuilt with new timbers. New oak frames update the original windows and Swederska-McDaniels hired REFAB to custom make the fixtures from local recycled barn wood—they complement the store design as well as Swederska-McDaniel’s merchandising philosophy. “The “face-out” fixtures,” she says, pointing to a white linen blazer, “help us highlight a key item [by showing the full garment as opposed to a side view as is more typical]. Then, below it are all the pieces that we suggest wearing with that item. The fixtures create stories within the store,” says the owner.
Tables and etageres, designed by Martin Goebel, showcase merchandise and home goods. Paisley is the first retailer to carry Goebel’s Kindred Heirloom furniture collection, which is also available to buy.
Customers will continue to find the brands that they’ve come to expect from Paisley, such as Lilla P, Rails, Dolce Vita, and Seychelles. “In addition to growing the offerings from our existing brands, we’re now also able to offer more designer brands, like Mother and Vince.”
Swederska-McDaniels, a lifelong Webster Groves resident and the 2022-23 Webster Groves business person of the year, considers it essential to her role as a business owner to engage with the local community. She plans to host events including yoga, styling seminars, fashion shows, as well as enlist local artists to use the store as a gallery.
A large renovation of the back patio, she adds, is coming up later this year.
