Home Accessories and the Housing Market

Sales of decorator accessories at F.O.B. St. Louis go up and down with the tumultuous housing market.

Kay Wallace sells accent furniture and adorable trinkets for the home, items she calls the “finishing touch” for anyone decorating a house. She is the owner of F.O.B. St. Louis in Town and Country’s Lamp and Lantern Village. Wallace said her business is tied closely to the ups and downs of the housing market. When she opened her store nine years ago, new homes were a hot item. Many of her customers were realtors looking for trendy accent items to stage a house they were selling or were people decorating a new home they had just moved into. “The housing market really hit us,” said Wallace. She said that when houses stopped selling, people seem to have less need for her merchandise. The good news for Wallace is that she is now seeing …

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Patch Picks: Boutiques

Welcome the arrival of spring with hot new clothes from these trendy West County boutiques.

The arrival of spring means it’s time to re-examine your closet and banish heavy sweaters, long sleeves and winter colors to storage. While you’re sorting through your collection, you might be inspired to add a few new things to your wardrobe. West County is not only a great place to shop, but it is home to several unique fashion boutiques—one of kind, locally owned clothing stores with great customer service and hard-to-find items. Happy shopping! Klutch Ultra trendy Klutch has the latest causal fashions from the hottest designers. Who shops here: Trendsetters from ages 17 to 70 shop here. What brands they carry: Klutch carries brands including Wildfox, Dolce Vita and Tolani. Where: Klutch is located at 1126 Town and Country Crossing Dr…

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The Business Break-Down

Manchester Skate and Snowboard Store Prepares for Spring

Manchester's S.O.K.A. Skate and Snow store has attitude as it sells only gear employees would use themselves.

Spring thaw may finally be here, but there’s still a couple of good snowboarding weekends left at Eureka's Hidden Valley Golf and Ski Club before we leave winter officially behind. The guys at S.O.K.A. Skate and Snow in Manchester have everything you need to tackle the slopes, from boards to gloves. It's also the place to go if you (or your kids) are looking forward to breaking out the skateboard this spring. S.O.K.A. Skate and Snow has been serving the skateboarding crowd for more than 15 years at the same location near Manchester Road and Route 141. The business started when owner Mark Sparacio and a friend got tired of working for other people and decided to open their own skate apparel and equipment store. The name S.O.K.A. (which …

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