THOMASVILLE — A High Point resident has taken her passion for home decor to the next level, opening Simply Elegant Home Decor at 24 E. Main St. in Thomasville.
“Home decor has been my inspiration for many years,” she says, “and I've been trying to open my own shop for probably about 10 years.”
Her obsession with decorating began as a child and led her to help people decorate at Christmas. She decorated and sold Christmas trees ranging from 3 feet to 9.5 feet tall and was known to also travel to customers' homes to decorate them for Christmas and other holidays.
She then worked as a decorating assistant at a furniture showroom in High Point Market, and from there she developed relationships with vendors who now help her manage inventory for the new store.
“And one of the designers became my mentor,” she added.
Prior to opening Simply Elegant Decor, Robinson had a vendor booth at The Emporium in downtown Thomasville for two years, where she experimented with selling home and holiday decor items.
Robinson, who held a grand opening ceremony on July 11, said she wanted to open an interior decor store in Thomasville instead of her hometown of High Point because market research showed there was a need in the Chair City, but High Point already has a number of interior decor stores.
“I had been looking for a space for a while,” she said, “and when I walked in here, I knew this was the perfect space for me.”
The 3,000-square-foot store was previously a clothing store.
“I love this (owning the store) because I love decorating,” she said.
Robinson said her family has been very supportive of her. There are sections in the store that commemorate her late sister, Karen Jenkins, and her father, Joseph Jenkins. Karen's section is filled with merchandise in purple, her sister's favorite color, while Joseph's coffee bar features his father's favorite drinks.
Robinson, who worked as a medical assistant at a Greensboro clinic, will now be running the store full time and will have temporary days and hours of operation. The temporary hours will be Thursday and Friday from 2:00pm to 7:00pm, Saturday from 10:00am to 6:00pm and Sunday from 1:00pm to 6:00pm.
Inventory changes monthly to reflect seasons and holidays.
“We want to continue to grow this store,” she said. “If you come in next month, it will have a different feel. … We want this to be a fun, happy, and affordable shopping experience.”
