I’ve been anticipating the opening of children’s interior store Madre since I “liked” one of their first Instagram posts. The pictures of playful interiors mixed with a Palm Beach vibe got me excited for what was to come. Plus, there aren’t many design shops in town that cater to children’s rooms and spaces, so I was happy to put another store in my rotation. I finally got to step inside the little bungalow on Lovers at their soft opening on Wednesday.
I was greeted by co-owners Mia Brous, Kerri Goldfarb, and Louise Marsh who gave me a personal tour of the former BelAir space. (Click here to find out where BelAir went!) The three moms—with eight kids between them—all have a background in interiors and found the focus on children’s rooms and bedrooms a natural progression. They have been throwing around ideas for a while of how they could balance being a mom while still doing something creative. They experimented with a pop-up shop and continued to design children’s rooms and nurseries for friends and family. But, when they found out that BelAir was moving, they knew they had to jump on the chance to claim the special spot and make their creative dreams a reality. They paired up with Bianca Colgin Watson, owner of Little Bean, who is operating her children’s clothing store from inside the shop.
The 1,250-square-foot-store is chock full of baby shower gifts, birthday ideas, hostess presents, and anything and everything you would need to design a nursery. Not only is the store a retail space, but the team also runs a full-service design firm from the shop. One of the rooms is dedicated to design meetings and houses their headboards and hundreds of fabric options. Whether you want them to design a room from scratch, or you just need them to help with one design aspect like bedding or draperies, they can charge by a room rate or an hourly fee.
Some of the baby and children gift brands are tried-and-true mom favorites like 3 Martha towels, Mint’s seersucker backpacks/lunchboxes/duffle bags, and Little Giraffe blankets. They carry baby bedding by Sweet William, Madeline Weinrib rugs, Coleen and Company lighting, and Lands Down Under throws along with one-of-a-kind furniture pieces that the owners have scouted.
One of the items I’m most excited about is the art selection. Art for children’s rooms that is age-appropriate but not cheesy or mass produced is hard to find. The trio is working with art consultant Kate Bellin of Kate Bellin Contemporary out of New York. They’ve sourced artist and illustrator Catlin McGauley’s pieces for the store. Caitlin’s clients include Domino, Hermès, and Kate Spade New York. You can also find works from photographer Gray Malin and artist Kate Schelter.
The shop is open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. They will open the store for design clients by appointment. 4715 W. Lovers Lane. madredallas.com
