Local Luminaries: Jeff Perkins

March 28, 2019

10:50 AM

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April marks 10 years since Jeff Perkins (left) took the plunge to follow his passion and open his own small business, Scout Antique & Modern, after nearly two decades of working in the corporate business world. Photo by Bradley Quinn and Emily Giancarlo

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Scout is located on Liberty Road, in close proximity to the consignment furniture shop Room Service and two antique and fine furnishing shops (Blue Horse and Liberty Hill). Photo by Bradley Quinn and Emily Giancarlo

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Scout Antique & Modern features three rooms teeming with all manner of vintage curiosities, from furniture and architectural salvage to art, jewelry, home decor and rugs. Photo by Bradley Quinn and Emily Giancarlo

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A little over a decade ago, Jeff Perkins stood in a corporate boardroom, looking out the window lost in thought. He had been inching closer toward his dream of starting his own business, but the prospect of leaving a steady job to take a leap into the unknown was understandably giving him a moment of trepidation. He called his friend Jon Carloftis, garden designer extraordinaire and a fellow entrepreneurial spirit, and asked, “Am I crazy?”

“Jon said, ‘Do it. Follow your dream. You won’t go wrong,’” Perkins remembered. “I’ll never forget the moment.”

Perkins heeded his friend’s advice, opening Scout Antique & Modern on Liberty Road with his partner, Greg Feeney, shortly after that conversation. The store celebrates its 10th anniversary this month.

“Greg and I started Scout at the peak of the economic downturn, if you can believe that,” said Perkins. “Luckily we didn’t even realize the magnitude of what that could mean.”

Scout the Dog

Named for Perkins and Feeney’s dog – a terrier rescue pup who was named after the young character in Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” – Scout has become a trusted local source for all things eclectic, from décor, furniture and rugs to jewelry, art and oddities. In addition to having developed a loyal local fanbase, the shop has built a growing roster of clients that includes collectors, designers and home décor shoppers from cities far and wide, including Atlanta, Nashville, Los Angeles and New York.

After Feeney’s other career became more consuming – he was named vice president of Academics and Workforce Development at Bluegrass Community and Technical College in 2015 – Perkins brought in a new business partner, Freddie Chappell, to help him manage day-to-day operations at the shop. Perkins said Chappell, who had long been involved with Scout as a vendor, has quickly become an integral part of what keeps the shop unique and vibrant. In today’s culture, “vibe” is an important ingredient for a retail business – and Scout, according to a growing number of fans, has plenty.

“A trip to Scout is more than a feast for the eyes – it oftentimes evolves into a delightful history lesson,” said Lexington resident and Scout shopper Lucy Jones. “Jeff is positively encyclopedic when it comes to furniture designers and their work. Chatting with him is probably my favorite part of the Scout experience.”

Stepping into the front door of Scout is to be immediately immersed in a highly curated space teeming with curiosities, with several rooms filled with eclectic finds arranged in a variety of vignettes. The shop’s collection inventory ranges from homegrown goodies such as silver julep cups or rare paintings from Henry Faulkner or other Kentucky artists to international mementos from every era – mid-century modern, art deco and Danish modern to classical and Victorian. A cast iron Japanese vase shaped like a Koi fish or a vintage Hermes cuff bracelet is at home at Scout as a set of Arne Jacobsen chairs or an elegantly carved wooden side table or dresser.

Perkins explains that what keeps Scout’s inventory so irresistible is the combination of dealers represented in the store, each of whom regularly scours the United States and Europe for great one-of-a-kind finds. One should also count Perkins’ ever-present drive to keep Scout interesting as one more ingredient to success.

“I still worry – even after 10 years I want to keep things fresh and new and continue to delight our customers,” Perkins said.

Fortunately, Perkins’ sense of worry is balanced by truly believing in the brand that he’s created with Scout. That sense of assurance is one he adopted in the early days of opening the business and one that has helped carry the shop through its first decade of success.

“I’ve learned overcoming fear of failure is the biggest challenge,” he said. “You have to have confidence in yourself.”

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