Treasures of Heritage Hill homes the sole offerings of new Grand Rapids decor store

Grand Rapids' historic Heritage Hill neighborhood is known for its expansive mansions, majestic Victorian architecture, and for the intriguing home décor items and antiques found in many of those homes. The idea to create a home décor and interior design store that offers an array of merchandise found only in Heritage Hill homes struck John Kershek, John Potter, Doug Meekes, and Greg McNally as a unique opportunity -- for them, for Heritage Hill homeowners, and for customers.

Colline Patrimoine, French for "Heritage Hill," is a shop filled with antique furniture, mid-century modern furnishings, china, crystal, silver, lamps, paintings, and more, all displayed with a French Market vibe that gives customers four prices for each item. The store's location at 447 S. Division Ave. is just one block from the new Downtown Market.

"The tickets will say what street it came from, the price today, and three more dates with price reductions for the dates that are farther away," says John Kershek. "Customers can gamble and hope that the item is still here when they come back, or buy it today. We want to turn the whole store over every 10 to 12 weeks."

Kershek says that with thousands of households in Heritage Hill, the opportunities to fill the 1,300-square-foot store are endless. He has several hundred names on a growing email list, and can request merchandise via email or alert sellers to what buyers are looking for.

"When you have a big house, you fill it up with stuff, and now there are a lot of people saying 'we have a set of china for 18 and don't need it,' or 'I have five sets of china and want to sell three,'" Kershek says. "We have Grand Rapids-made Stickley and Forslund furniture, and just acquired a collection of unbelievable vintage aprons from the '30s and '40s."

Kershek says there are items from the '60s and '70s, as well. If it's lived some of its life in Heritage Hill, the store owners will consider offering it. Items include globes that show the old Cold War country names, and even some art created by artists who live in Heritage Hill.

Store hours: Tues., Weds. 5 -9; Fri. 1 - 9; Sat. 10 - 6; Sun. 12 - 5; and by appointment. Hours will change after the Downtown Market opens.

Source: John Kershek, Colline Patrimoine
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor

Images courtesy of Colline Patrimoine