In 1997, Barbara Ashford and Judy Hill opened Henhouse Antiques in English Village.
Their daughters, Libby and Laura, were fifth- and sixth-graders at the time. Together, the girls grew up in the shop and worked during the holiday seasons.
In January of 2020, 23 years later, Libby and Laura decided to take over the shop and follow in their mother’s footsteps.
“I started managing the shop in 2016 with the idea of possibly taking over one day,” Laura said. “When I started working here, I had no idea how much I was going to love working in this business. I grew up with an appreciation of antiques because of my mom being in the business, but my own passion and appreciation didn’t bloom until I started working here full time.
“I have always considered myself a creative person but didn’t really know where I belonged in the creative world. I found that being here I am able to nurture that creativity helping others with their own spaces and with the styling of the shop. Plus, I learned from the best!”
Libby also said her mother influenced her passion.
“My entire life was surrounded by beautiful spaces and homes decorated by my talented mother,” Libby said. “Her love for antiques made me have a passion for beautiful furniture and wanting them to have a home.”
For the most part, the transition has been seamless. Watching their mothers for their entire lives meant they knew exactly how the business worked and what to expect.
There was one challenge though — a few months after becoming financially invested in the business, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. They had just received a 40-foot shippingcontainer filled with inventory on March12, 2020.
“If it had not been for social media and the long-time loyal customers and designers, we are not sure what we would have done,” they said.
Walk into the store’s double doors and you’ll see the two hard at work, deciding on where to place a lamp and laughing at how busy they are. You might think they were sisters, but really they’re lifelong friends sharing a passion together.
“Our moms have been doing this for 24 years, and we have literally grown up together,” the two ladies said. “Fortunately, we think the world of each other and our friendship is just as strong as our work partnership. We have very similar personalities which makes working together fun. We laugh a lot!”
The unique pieces for sale at Henhouse Antiques are personally selected by Laura and Libby and are shipped from other countries. The store sells furniture, mirrors, lighting and art with a mix of English and French styles. It feels like the home of a well traveled sophisticate, and customers often say, “Wow, I want to live here.”
Learn more at henhouseantiques.com.
