As of last month, a small Chevy Chase business has just gotten bigger. Heather Reilly, the owner of Adelé, moved the home décor, gift and jewelry store from its location on Ashland Avenue to a larger space at 805 Chevy Chase Place, which formerly housed the pet salon CF Elegance, next to Best of Flowers and Josie’s. With about 500 additional square feet over their original storefront, the boutique’s new location opened Sept. 15 and allows for additional furniture and home accent offerings, such as lighting, accessories and wall décor.
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Business partners Meghann van den Dool (l) and owner Heather Reilly recently moved Adelè, the design boutique they opened in 2011, to Chevy Chaser Place. | Photo by Sara Hughes
Adelé (pronounced a-de-lay) originally opened its doors in March of 2011. Reilly named the store after two of her nieces, Mackenzie Adele and Adele Blair, who both live in Cincinnati.
“I thought the name was appropriate for the beautiful things I wanted to sell,” Reilly said.
Reilly, a Lexington native, attended Sayre School growing up, then graduated from Centre College in Danville. Post-college, she moved to Chicago and managed a wholesale showroom at the Merchandise Mart before moving to Cincinnati with her husband, Danny. There, she landed a corporate job as a buyer for Frontgate catalog but found the job to be far from her ideal – in truth, Reilly wanted to be an entrepreneur and had always dreamt of owning a store.
“Thankfully, I married a wonderfully supportive guy who encouraged me to follow my dream and has been my biggest cheerleader along the way,” she said.
Starting a small business was a challenge, but Reilly made a point of surrounding herself by encouraging people, including long-time friend, Meghann van den Dool, who has proved to be an integral partner in the business.
“Meghann is just as responsible for turning this into reality as I am,” said Reilly. “She manages the interior design part of the business, although we both do all the buying. Adelé is as much hers as it is mine.”
From there, Reilly found a mentor in a family friend from Atlanta who was successful in the home décor industry and helped guide her along the way. She gained additional insight from the business expertise of her father, Ralph Hacker, a former University of Kentucky basketball announcer and business owner.
“I often look toward my father for advice,” said Reilly, “since he has taught me to stand my ground and to be strong. My mother also helps, working part-time in the store, along with Meghann’s mom. We would not survive without their help. From unpacking boxes to ringing up sales, they do it all with a smile on their faces.”
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Four years into the business, Reilly appreciates the benefits of being her own boss.
“First and foremost,” she said, “it allows me some flexibility to spend time with my 2½-year-old daughter. I have also met so many new people through the store that I now consider friends. Finally, I do something I love, so going to the store isn’t work for me – I look forward to it and am still excited about it.”
One of the biggest struggles she faces is accepting the fact that a business can’t be all things to all people.
“By nature, I’m a people pleaser,” Reilly said. “I wish I could carry every line that I am approached about or have something for every customer who walks through the door, but it’s not feasible. It’s not only an issue with my bottom line but with space as well.”
Reilly is excited to increase the number of products available in the store with the recent move. Additional home décor options include furniture from lines like Younger and Society Social, both made in North Carolina by family-owned factories, with an emphasis on high style and affordability. The store continues to offer a nice selection of children’s gift items, elegant jewelry, candles and more.
“We also have a dedicated space for our interior design business,” said Reilly, “and continue to offer designer fabrics and custom-made items such as window treatments, pillows and reupholstery. Our gift offerings remain the same, as does our jewelry collection, which has been our best-selling category since the day we opened.”
For more info on Adelè, visit www.adelelexington.com, or follow them on Facebook at (adelelexingtonky) and Instagram (@adelelexington). cc