Clothes & home goods shop with embroidery bar opening near Kansas City
Aubrey Larkin blends sentimentality in her inventory of clothes, home goods and accessories inspired her stints living in Nashville and Los Angeles. Now she’s opening her Parkville storefront, Larkin Home, at 111 Main St.rthis Saturday.
Her store will also feature a custom embroidery bar.
“I wanted to pick pieces that, you know, you could wear to a country concert, or if you’re going on a beach trip or summer days like that,” she said. “I tried to select pieces, especially in our home goods line, that are from California or Nashville.”
The word “home”in the name stems from Larkin finally ending her long adventure and settling back in Kansas City. Throughout Larkin Home are tiny personal and sentimental tidbits that give insight to who Larkin, 27, is. In the window sits a horse saddle on an old Swinger sewing machine stand, a nod to her parents. The photos inside the frames she sells are personal, and so are the relationships she has with some of her sellers.
“I just really am passionate about creating a space where people feel like they can come in and they’re welcomed, they’re gonna have a good time,” she said. “I don’t want to be another check on your box.”
All the fragrances at Larkin Home are from a Nashville company. Her greeting cards were made by a friend living in LA.
“I think coming to a job every day where I get to interact with people and get to share my passions with them, and helping girls pick out outfits is just like an incredible way to spend time,” she said.
Toward the back of the store though, is what Larkin is most excited about. In front of the dressing rooms is a custom embroidery table filled with a variety of different canvas totes, bags, keychains, pouches and more.
“The embroidery bar that’s like a huge element that sets us apart,” she said.
All the customizable items are priced between $24 and $148 and include one line of embroidered text. Customers can pick their thread color and from three different fonts. When the item is ready, they can either return to the shop or have their item delivered.
“I have so many ideas, and so (the embroidery bar has been) one of the best parts of it. If someone comes to me and they’re like, ‘you think we can do something like this?’ The answer is usually yes,” she said.
Customers can even personalize Larkin’s cowboy hats with an embroidered hat band that ties around the hat. It’s an idea she picked up from living in Nashville.
“All those experiences are a reason to come to the store. It’s what I’m trying to create here,” Larkin said. “You come in, you get to make something that only you have, and then pick it up and have a unique product.”
Other items in the shop have personal ties to Larkin. Her childhood neighbor makes dog bandanas, so Larkin asked if her neighbor could make several for the shop using fabric from her mother’s personal fabric stash. Her custom shop branded T-shirts were screen-printed by one of her high school teachers.
“All the picture frames have photos that are tied back,” Larkin said about her merchandise. “That photo frame has my sister’s horse in it. There’s another photo frame that has the beach where I lived in California. Just different little things like that are sentimental to me, my family and friends.”
Larkin’s lifelong dream of opening her own storefront
Opening a shop has been a dream of Larkin’s since she was in high school.
“I grew up in Liberty and I love to go to the local boutiques there and pick out clothes or whatever, and my mom started taking pictures of my outfits because people would ask where I got things, and they were from local spots,” she said.
In 2017, Larkin opened her own online boutique and started to sell clothes closely based on what she was wearing. She ran that for five years before switching to real estate.
Larkin moved back from Nashville in mid-March and immediately flew out to Dallas to fill her inventory. She chose Parkville, she said, because it is so walkable, and shoppers can hit multiple locally owned storefronts on their trip.
“I felt like Parkville had the best community. It really is so special down here, and you can feel it when you come up. All the businesses love each other and are so welcoming,” she said.
She credits help with meeting the quick turn-round of opening and decoration help to her mother.
“I always just knew if I opened a store I wanted to be near my mom to do it. While we’re not partners, she is very much at the center and so helpful. And she really does make my dreams come to life,” Larkin said.
Opening day party and Larkin’s future plans for the store
Larkin Home will start its grand opening party at 11 a.m. There will be free custom coffee for the first 40 people, and the first 30 to spend $100 will get a free bouquet from the bouquet bar.
“I think people really love the experience of going to a store now, yes, and ever. And like, being able to walk down a street where, like, you want to hit every store is so rare and so special,” she said.
Down the line, Larkin hopes to host events after hours and be a place where people can host private parties or a book club.
“I just really want to create a space that feels like a community and feels special, where people just feel welcome and excited to shop,” Larkin said. “Because I know, when you go into a store that feels good, you want to hang out there.I want to create that feeling here.”
Larkin Home will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
