In Business of Home’s series Shop Talk, we talk to owners of home furnishings stores throughout the country to learn about their valuable lessons and obstacles, both significant and minor. This week, we had a conversation with interior designer and retailer Leah Bailey of Leah Bailey Interiors, which has locations inSavannah, Georgia, and Bluffton, South Carolina.
Although she has worked as an interior designer since 2000, Bailey didn’t open a small retail store in Bluffton until July 2020, located within the Hilton Head Island region. She continued to keep her main base in her hometown of Savannah, where she established a shop two years prior. During our conversation, she was eager to discuss various details, such as the advantages of incorporating clothing into her offerings and using Google ads, how she compensates her employees, why she separated her social media accounts, and her aspirations for a third location.
What is your overall style?
My individual style is greatly shaped by European layering—combining vintage items with modern, well-proportioned pieces. If I include an antique chair in a room, it will be reupholstered to have a more contemporary feel. I enjoy having various worn and chipped elements throughout the space. It was crucial for the shops to reflect my personal style because many people find that layered look intimidating. Too often, when you enter a store, everything is brand-new; this can make you think you can find something similar at HomeGoods, which I wanted to prevent. I didn’t want the experience to resemble shopping online or at a chain.
You reside in Savannah, but your initial store location was not there. How did you end up opening your Bluffton shop?
For roughly 20 years, I have been involved in [design projects] in Palmetto Bluff, a luxurious, gated neighborhood in Bluffton. It’s approximately 15 minutes away from downtown Bluffton, a charming, small, historic coastal town. It was largely restored and revitalized around 15 years ago, featuring numerous restaurants, cafes, boutiques, and stores like mine. Tourists visit during the summer— it’s about 30 minutes from Hilton Head, 30 minutes from Savannah, and 15 minutes from Palmetto Bluff, making it conveniently located and attracting people from various places—though not as much in terms of business. I have a few designers who come in to buy forinstallsbut it’s 70 percent regular residents and 30 percent people who walk in or tourists.
Why did you follow up with a second store in Savannah?
My design studio is located in Savannah, and I was expanding my design company here by hiring more junior designers and assistants when the large space next door became available. After opening the shop in Bluffton in 2020, I launched a second retail location based in Savannah in March 2023. I call Bluffton the “jewel box” because it’s very small—the actual size is less than 1,000 square feet—while the Savannah location is around 3,000 square feet. In Savannah, I can display larger furniture pieces and introduce new upholstered items. This also provided an opportunity for customers and clients in Bluffton: if they wanted to try out furniture, they could visit Savannah.
Does the appearance remain consistent between the two stores?
There is a strong sense of unity. All my built-in features, the lighting above them, and the large central light fixtures are all identical. One addition we made to the Bluffton store, which has now been included in the Savannah store, is clothing. I was assisting some friends in Savannah during the pandemic who had a clothing store, and it wasn’t doing well. Twice a month, they would come to Bluffton, and we would hold a one-day pop-up event with champagne to get people out of their homes. However, customers would return a few days later asking where the clothes were. I saw an opportunity and began acquiring clothing lines that I personally used. Now both stores offer apparel. It has evolved into a major lifestyle destination. Once I grasped the clothing aspect, my idea was that no one should leave here without something, whether it’s a pair of items, earrings, a candle, or a ginger jar.
How did you align the clothing and household products selections?
The clothing should feel like it belongs within the space. It’s been a process of trial and error: some brands might have an excellent spring collection, but their fall line could be disappointing. Another factor was the price range. Not everyone is going to walk in and purchase a $450 dress. They prefer something more in the $200 range. So I needed to find brands that offer different price levels, and this was achieved by visitingdifferent showsIn various locations. I traveled to Atlanta for the market, and then discovered some excellent items in Dallas.
Share your experience with a preferred supplier.
I frequently bring many antiques into the store, and antique dealers are my preferred kind of supplier, as these items give the shop a unique and special atmosphere. Each one is original, not a copy. I also visit Round Top twice a year, and now customers and clients eagerly anticipate what I find there.
What’s an item that sells quickly?
We handle a significant volume of candles. I have myown scent, and that’s likely our top [product]. It’s affordably priced, burns cleanly, and is beautifully packaged. I sell many ginger jars. We offer a variety of tabletop and barware items: attractive coasters and bottle openers, cocktail napkins. Once again, I believe it’s related to the price point. From an apparel perspective, dresses are our best seller. I think this is because we’re located in the South, and it’s more straightforward.
How do you typically obtain information?
Having worked in design for 25 years, I have access to numerous wholesale accounts, which proved very useful when I opened my first store as I could immediately utilize them. We still make use of many of those accounts, butFairehas served as an excellent resource for us, primarily because I can visit and simply enter “mini convex mirror” and then explore to find the best quality. Faire has transformed how we buy at wholesale without it appearing inexpensive.
How do you manage online shopping?
When [my team] gets a product, they enter all the details into Shopify. Almost everything in the shop is available on the e-commerce site, ranging from cocktail napkins to Hanky Panky underwear. What we’ve learned about online shopping is that you need to invest to succeed. We spend a significant amount of money each month on Google. For a long time, we weren’t receiving any orders, but then we realized that running Google ads gives us better visibility on Google, which increases sales enough to more than double our investment. It’s definitely worth it. We also do a lot onInstagram—The mix of Google and Instagram [marketing] is how we’re starting out.
Yes, how significant is the role of social media in your business? And who is responsible for managing it?
I have an in-house team member who manages all social media activities along with the shop manager. When I first opened the shop, I didn’t distinguish my design Instagram from the shop’s Instagram because I had a significant following and didn’t want to lose that momentum. After we launched the Savannah location, along with the Bluffton shop and my design business, it became quite confusing. We eventually decided to separate them, and it turned out to be the best decision we could have made.
What steps have you taken to recruit employees for these three companies?
I offer my employees excellent compensation, and I believe that’s the foundation. Many individuals in retail aren’t paid adequately, which often leads to burnout, tardiness, or poor customer service. If [my team] requires health benefits, I provide them, along with a generous commission structure. I don’t impose limits on commissions; if they earn more, it indicates the stores are performing well. This approach also applies to my designers [within the interior design aspect of my business]. Typically, when there has been staff turnover, it’s due to someone relocating, not because of a poor fit or misconduct. At present, there are 18 people working across the shops and the design studio.
It’s challenging to find reliable individuals, and even more so to find someone who is enthusiastic and takes action. I’m not a difficult person to work for, but if I ask you to do something and you don’t, that’s an issue. I won’t ask you to do anything that I wouldn’t do myself. This morning, we completed a major store renovation, and I was right in the middle of it, moving furniture and cleaning. I’m not staying back, giving orders while others do the work. But it’s tough. People tend to show their best side when they’reinterviewing, and I’m usually pretty good at judging people, but I let them know right away: You’ll be paid well, but you’ll work extremely hard. You’ll have to take out the trash and clean the toilets, but you’ll also feel proud of your work.
What are some of the challenges encountered in your field?
Savannah might be more challenging compared to Bluffton. There is more financial resources in Bluffton, and the area is pedestrian-friendly. Women may have lunch out, then take a stroll and do some shopping. The Savannah shop is located in Midtown; while downtown is more walkable, many locals avoid it due to parking difficulties. Therefore, I opted for Midtown as it allows me to reach a larger portion of the local, weekly customer base. People in Savannah tend not to spend as much money. Retail, in general, presents a challenge, particularly during the past election year. Our sales typically decline in the summer because people are traveling. We have been able to recognize these trends. However, if I were to create a business plan for retail, it would essentially be fabricated: You can’t predict how the climate will feel. All you can hope for is that you’re purchasing the appropriate items.
What are some of your aspirations for the business’s future?
I hope to open a third location, and we’ve been evaluating [potential places] for around two years—mainly because the location needs to succeed. It’s a significant financial commitment, but I also want to provide design services. So we’ve been conducting extensive research. Are there new high-end neighborhoods that could be near the store? There’s definitely a method to it. I launched a cashmere clothing line last fall, and it’s performing very well. We’re also developing a blazer line, which is really exciting. I think it’s always a dream for a designer to have a collection with a furniture company, or with fabric or lighting. Hopefully, that can happen. But in the end, I just want to ensure that my name stays positive in the industry, and that clients and customers come to us because it’s not a stagnant environment. We are making sure everything is truly beautiful, and that people love what they experience when they enter.
How do you organize your time between all the different companies?
The availability of my design clients significantly influences how I organize my week. This dynamic shapes the boundaries of what I can and cannot accomplish within my business. Every Tuesday, we hold a team meeting that lasts an hour, and I make it a priority to attend. During times when I’m preparing for client meetings, I tend to be more accessible. If my financial controller requires my presence for 30 minutes to review some financial matters, I can easily accommodate that. As a result, each day and each week looks different from the last. Taking a look at my current schedule might overwhelm someone, but I remain highly efficient. I have a lot of energy and enjoy getting as much done as possible, which reflects my Type A personality, while also making sure to have fun along the way.
What is your preferred type of day while shopping?
It’s likely a retail renovation. When clients and customers visit after a store overhaul, we might have a piece of furniture that’s been untouched for three months, and then we rearrange the layout, making it seem like we’ve acquired something new. That’s the beauty of design! Rearranging items and giving them a fresh environment to stand out. This is what I love the most, as my team is involved, and I enjoy seeing their creativity and how they transform the space with me.
