Montclair has it’s very own store called Howell that has just what you need from places all around the world.
Just when I thought Montclair couldn’t get any cuter with its small, family owned, unique shops and boutiques, I found Howell. Located at 599 Valley Road in Montclair and owned by Montclair native Carolyn Burbridge alongside Brooklyn native Nico Mabry, Howell brings Montclair something new, with exclusive housewares, vintage and antique items, art, furniture, blankets, glassware and more.
Burbridge decided to open up Howell in the beginning of October of this past year. Although it is very new, it has had great success in its first three months. Since the store sells such a variety of things, I was eager to find out what had inspired them to open it.
“It’s just stuff that we love, and the first shop we ever thought to open,” said Mabry.
“We sell a little bit of everything, from housewares to plants to children’s gifts to sweaters to artwork, scarves and candle holders. There’s stuff for children, adults, both men and women but more specifically women. We are trying to get some more men’s stuff in here, but for the most part, there are a lot of gifty items,” said Burbridge.
A popular item at Howell is the animal heads that seem to be selling really well, especially for the kids. The scarves, glassware and blankets are also very popular. “Everything has done pretty well, for only being open for three months,” said Mabry.
Howell is known for selling both locally and globally sourced items. “We get stuff from all over; you can find things from England, Ireland, France, Italy, Japan, Bolivia, Czech Republic and there is even some stuff from India,” said Burbridge.
When deciding what to buy, Burbridge explained that it is different for each item. All of their antique and vintage items are sourced. They also just recently attended a Trade Show in Paris, and plan to go to the one in New York as well. They get their newer items from the trade shows, or just companies that they have known for a while, and often times just from research. “We always make sure to get new items in periodically,” said Burbridge.
One thing that instantly caught my eye was their lovely, hand-painted artwork that is creatively displayed across their store walls. Most of the artwork even has its own name. All of it is for sale and is done by painters Mauro Baiocco and Mabry’s very own brother, Jack Burbridge.
To find out more about Howell, you can visit their website HowellMontclair.com, like them on Facebook @Howell and follow them on Instagram at @HowellMontclair.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login