Courtesy Hearth & Soul
If you’ve driven down Clayton Road near Ladue Middle School recently, you’ve likely seen a large banner advertising Hearth & Soul.
The new home/lifestyle boutique and event space—the creation of Susie Busch-Transou—is scheduled to open in mid-August at 9640 Clayton. (Busch-Transou runs two other locations: Tallahassee, Florida, and Austin, Texas.)
Built to resemble a private residence, the store is inviting and well appointed, with a cozy hearth room, kitchen, dining room, bar, patio, library, bed & bath area, and separate men’s and women’s closets.
Eight years ago, the St. Louis native founded the concept she calls hospitality retail. “It combines hospitality and love of community engagement into a retail space that celebrates the home and all of the warmth and relevance that comes with that,” she says.
Hospitality is a family tradition, says Busch-Transou, who got her start at Anheuser-Busch, embracing the company’s philosophy: “Making friends is our business.” After she married college sweetheart Tripp Transou, the couple relocated to Tallahassee, where they raised three children and co-own Tri-Eagle Sales, a specialty beverage distribution company.
The retail concept was a product of serendipity. At a 50th-birthday celebration for two college friends, Busch-Transou got the chance to talk to a life coach as part of the festivities. The idea for Hearth & Soul was born of that conversation.
“We talked about the things that I love and that are important to me in my life: friends, family, community, hospitality, my home,” Busch-Transou recalls. “She said, ‘I see a storefront in your life in the coming years.’ I had never thought of being in retail, but she told me that by combining all the things I love, I could be the perfect host or creator of a special environment.”
In the next 48 hours, she says, her concept came into sharper focus.
“It’s a homelike setting that is, for many people, their escape place. If someone doesn’t have a home like that in their lives, we want to create that for them,” she says. “It’s about a warm, approachable setting that’s familiar; community gatherings to bring people together in inspiring ways; and unique finds that make those gifting or personal needs hassle-free.”
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Courtesy Hearth & Soul
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KIRA DERRYBERRY
Part of that ethos is immediate gratification–everything on display throughout the space, from furniture to accessories to clothing, is for sale and can be taken home immediately—no waiting for an order to arrive.
"We have set up a system that we have enough in inventory and back-stock that we can reset the floor if someone comes in and buys an entire set at one time. Put it right in the back of your car, or, if you need to see it in your space, you can take it on approval,” says Busch-Transou.
In addition to its collection of simple, modern, and classic items that includes top brands from around the world, Hearth & Soul will offer select lines from local St. Louis makers, including throw pillows by designer/artist Joy Tribout and Sweet Seed Textiles and TERRA candles. The store will also feature quarterly artist partners, beginning with Jessica Hitchcock, whose work will be featured at a special event and displayed on a gallery wall for sale.
To help build community in St. Louis, Hearth & Soul plans to partner with a different nonprofit each month to bring attention to its work. Proceeds from the sale of a specific candle line will be donated to the organization. In addition to store-sponsored events, the space can be rented for private occasions of all kinds, from book club gatherings to showers, author events, birthday parties, and corporate events.
“We couldn’t be more excited about the future,” says Busch-Transou. “People feel disconnected, and we want everyone to feel valued and connected and inspired. Positivity in today’s world is important, and we try to share that with each and every friend who comes to see us.”
