Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Marguerite Bolvig, owner of Marguerite’s Conceits, stands in the front of her shop in Mountain Brook Village on March 13. Marguerite’s Conceits is celebrating 31 years of business.
Marguerite Bolvig has been a Mountain Brook Village girl her whole life.
“I grew up right around the corner,” she said. “I’ve been in this village my entire life, from hanging out, having fun as a kid to owning my own business here.”
Bolvig has operated her eponymous shop, Marguerite’s Conceits, for 31 years in the same location on Canterbury Road. The rhyming name is also an apt descriptor of the shop’s contents, as “conceits” are fanciful objects, and her store is full of them.
After graduating from Samford University with an interior design degree, Bolvig found it hard to break into her chosen field.
“In the ’80s, interior design was a tough business to get into,” she said. “I was working with great designers, but I was supplementing my income working retail jobs. But every place I worked, I ended up taking over and ending up in management.”
Soon, interior design jobs were supplementing Bolvig’s retail income.
A conversation with her father encouraged her to go out on her own and give small-business ownership a try.
“He said, ‘If you’re going to kill yourself working retail for other people, why don’t you just work for yourself?’” she said.
She opened Table Matters, a high-end table wares and linens store, with a partner in 1991.
A conversation with one of the store’s vendors, Ann Gish, who was preparing to launch a bed linen line, led Bolvig to go solo.
“I love bed linens, and after talking to Ann, I was inspired to open a store where I could really put my design skills to work,” she said. “That was my jumping off point.”
In 1993, Marguerite’s Conceits was born. Over the years, the bed linen boutique has grown to a curated collection of comfort items including pajamas, loungewear, candles and more.
“When we opened, there was not another bed linens shop,” Bolvig said. “We were the first, and we generated a lot of buzz.”
Over her 31 years in business, Bolvig has seen momentous changes in retail in general and in Mountain Brook Village.
“When we started, there were no cell phones or Amazon or online ordering,” she said. “There were malls and nice department stores. When you shopped, you shopped at brick-and-mortar stores.”
But through all the changes, some things have stayed the same.
“The village has not lost its charm through time and growth and change,” Bolvig said. “It’s a kind community of business owners who are friends and work to help and encourage each other. I shop in the village, and I like going to places where people know my name. It’s more than just shopping; it’s a friendly interaction.”
Bolvig also routinely sees multi-generational clients. “Our customer loyalty has remained the same,” she said. “I did nursery bedding for people who are now in their 30s, buying for their own children.”
Bolvig and her team pride themselves on offering exceptional customer service, free design services and customized shopping experiences.
“We have people from all over coming to shop here, and they’re always amazed at everything they can find,” Bolvig said. “The village is a special place.”
Marguerite’s Conceits is located at 2406 Canterbury Road and is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Visit margueritesconceits.weebly.com for more information.
