12/09/2008 Scarlet Begonias: All Things Bright and Beautiful Linda Buskirk and Karen Phelps believe your home should be your sanctuary- a unique expression and celebration of your personal tastes and dreams. They believe it so much that they both decided to switch careers and dedicate themselves to the business of helping others who share this view. They live their dream, and help their customers achieve theirs, with their retail store and interior design business, Scarlet Begonias. Scarlet Begonias, Lifestyles by Design, located at 252 Bridge Street in the heart of downtown Phoenixville, is vintage charm, imagination and beauty, rolled into one. Co-owned by Linda and Karen, the warm, inviting, unique home furnishing store is the culmination of their lifelong dream and passion for home decorating. "We both always loved home decor. We are passionate about decorating, and we both love to make things beautiful," explains Karen. The two met 25 years ago while working in the fine jewelry business. Karen and Linda quickly became the best of friends; a friendship cemented on common interests and tastes. They often discussed their mutual dream of having their own store. Five years ago, they decided to take the plunge and dove right in. As downtown Phoenixville was just on the edge of an intense revitalization process, Linda and Karen located a 210- year-old building (one of the oldest in town) that had been vacant for 10 years and in dire need of restoration. "The day that we saw it, we looked at each other and just knew that it would become Scarlet Begonias," says Karen. The shop was completely renovated, transforming it into a quaint, welcoming, expression of home splendor. "We were really the first new retail business on the street," adds Linda, "We became very active in the Phoenixville Area Business Association (PABA) and the Chamber of Commerce and were instrumental in starting, promoting, and supporting many of the programs such as First Fridays." "We chose Phoenixville because we really liked the small town aspect- the fact that everyone seemed to know each other and there is such a great deal of pride in the area." During their second year in business, Linda and Karen were awarded the Phoenixville Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Development Award for their significant aesthetic and business contribution to the community. "Our goal was to have a decorative accessory and home decor business, but once we became established we realized that people had a lot of needs, such as assistance with home decorating. We started to develop a network with home contractors, electricians and custom window treatment people so that we could provide these services to our customers," explains Karen. Providing as much or as little assistance as a client may need, Karen and Linda are able to tailor their services, such as real estate staging, redecorating, rearranging or designing a new look, for each client. "What we really try to do is take a client's core and help them take it up a notch, achieve their vision and pull it all together," she explains. "We use what you have and perhaps put a few new pieces in there and make it all work together." The charm and charisma of Scarlet Begonias equally matches that of its owners. Customers walk in and immediately feel at home, impressed by everything beautiful. "I don't think we are a typical home furnishings store," says Karen, "We buy products that we feel our clientele will relate to; they become unique reflections of our homes' personalities. We look for beautiful fresh collections and accent pieces that will offer our clients distinctive design that is fairly priced." Once inside Scarlet Begonias, customers are offered a fabulous selection of unique gift items, decorative accessories, home furnishings, even handbags and shoes. For holiday gift shopping, the possibilities are endless. There's Chamilia sterling silver jewelry (start a bracelet for the lady in your life, and she can add to it), Butler Bags by Jen Groover (local designer from Swarthmore, PA), Raviani bags and belts hand-tooled with Swarovski crystals, in addition to seasonal decor like mantle sprays and fabulous holiday accents. Over the past few years, Karen and Linda have added several new product lines to Scarlet Begonias, most of which are made in the United States. These include Archipelago botanical candles, crystal accent pieces by local artist Monica Willard and Terra Traditions photo albums, journals and baby books, beautiful gifts and keepsakes, all adorned with Swarovski crystals. All artwork in the store is hand-painted with custom frames chosen by Karen and Linda, so each piece is unique. Scarlet Begonias also hosts 'Girl's Night In' a few times a year, complete with wine and cheese, where it features the works of various local artists. Truly living their dream, Linda and Karen are a dynamic duo ready to help you fulfill yours. Step into Scarlet Begonias and let your imagination run wild. Take in the beauty, and take it back to your home! Scarlet Begonias Lifestyles by Design 252 Bridge Street Phoenixville, PA 19460 610.933.9307 REPRINTED from CHESTER COUNTY LIFE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008