Photo courtesy Quaint & Quirky
Siblings Karin Kern and Kailey Chase took a chance and opened a home decor business in late March, even as the state called for a shutdown of nonessential businesses to flatten the pandemic’s initial curve. They opened the boutique, Quaint & Quirky, in West Broad Marketplace with assistance from their parents, Todd and Kimberly Kern.
“We were just like, ‘We’re not turning back now, we’ve already put so much into this,’ ” Karin Kern says.
The sisters kept the business open through the quarantine, ramping up sales via Facebook, delivery and curbside pickup. About 95% of the inventory consists of handmade and hand-painted items, from handmade jewelry to larger furniture pieces; the works of more than 45 Virginia artisans, many local to Richmond. Everything is presented in a cohesive manner, meaning it’s thoughtfully displayed rather than separated by vendor.
“We’re a family business and we want [customers] to feel like [they’re] family, too, in here,” Kern says.
