Unique and quirky, but very elegant

Herbie Parets, above, of Design Box at 3094 Fuller Street, took me on a little tour of his home boutique store. I was amazed at all the items, from furniture to art and gift items. Many of the items are antiques from a century or more ago. It's the perfect place to find the quirky and elegant.


The small store houses so much that you could spend an afternoon just going through all the fascinating, playful items. It's a happy store full of antique as well as new items. Here you see antique French Bergere Chairs and a hand carved vintage table from India. The accessories include spice boxes and vintage indian deities.


Items fill the store from every continent, most items come from Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. This vintage French chair is upholstered in Maharam fabric. Most of the items are one of a kind. Last week shadow boxes, specimens from the 19th century, were available. They were from the Museum of Natural History in France. They sold fast.


The merchandise comes and goes fast at Design Box, many make it a weekly stop to see what goodies are in for that particular week. Yesterday I saw 200 year old solid brass wrist cuffs from Rajasthan, India. They are displayed in hand carved marble lotus plates from India. Above are vintage shell bottles. The store has many vintage crystal bottles from France and England.

Design Box has art from local and international artists. They offer stationery and greeting cards. There are handmade marionettes from Guatamala and so much more. They are having a grand opening party on December 9. But stop in any day for a real treat. With the holidays coming up, this is the perfect place to find something unique that no one else sells.


Fuller Street is a nice quirky street and one side has three stores that compliment each other. Cherry Green, the woman's clothing store and The Sale Rack are bookends to Design Box, which resides in the center. Above, Audra Cherry from Cherry Green, stands with neighbor Herbie. Cherry Green is famous for their ping pong table right in the center of the clothing store.

Herbie is also an Interior Designer. "My style is contemporary with a vintage aesthetic. I meet with clients and we figure out if we are a good match. I also specialize in turn-key packages for developers and people who have second homes. These turnkey packages include all furniture, lighting, art, accessories as well as plates, cups, cutlery, electronics, closets, hangers etc.; everything necessary so the client doesn't have to worry about anything," says Herbie.

Stop by or call any time to set up an appointment. Design Box is open every day; Sunday through Wednesday from noon to 6 pm and Thursday through Saturday from noon to 8 pm. They may be reached at 305-644-9400