By Maudie Heard
The boutique we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. Nice dishware lines, seasonal decor, delightfully fragrant candles, and a line of beautiful quality baby furniture, toys and other items can all be found in one sweet location
Though shopping in Downtown Idaho Falls is a special experience no matter which shop you enter, nowhere is this more true than at the Holiday House Boutique at 455 Park Ave. This place is magical, almost like stepping back in time.
Magical AmbienceWhen you step inside, you enter not just a store, but a wonderland. Mother-daughter duo Melissa and Nichole Ball have created an ambient experience within the walls of the boutique. This is a delightful nook where shoppers can stop and rest from the cold outside and grab a fountain drink or some old-fashioned sweets from the selection of colorful jars behind the checkout counter. Everything about this place is a treat.
The first thing we noticed when we entered the store was the amazing smell. Everywhere you turn, fragrant candles flicker with a warm and inviting light, filling the air with pleasant aromas. Throughout the store we also noticed strings of charming lights. And then, of course, were all the wonderful little treasures lining the shelves. So many treasures.
One-of-a-kind Items “We wanted to provide unique and beautiful items that you can’t find anywhere else in town,” Melissa said. “So that’s exactly what we offer. We sell quality items that you won’t find at a big box store.”
“As an example, we have a nativity set that is hand carved by a family in Norway that has been creating these pieces since 1905. It’s really beautiful,” Nichole said. “That’s just one example of the kind of quality items we offer in our store.”
“We also have art from London, England in our store,” Melissa said. “While we certainly try to carry items that are made in the USA as much as possible, our ultimate goal is to provide the very best decor and other items that we can find, no matter where they’re from. Yet that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to shop here. We are competitive with all online prices. We’ve cross compared so our customers can get the best deals possible.”
Seasonal DecorOne of the unique features of Holiday House Boutique is that the decor they sell is switched out for each season and holiday, making it a true “holiday” experience to shop here, regardless of the time of year.
Looking over the shelves, you can find darling little knickknacks and figurines, wreaths and other floral decor, jewelry, headbands, scarves, cookbooks, kitchen towels, bath products and lotion, and, of course, candles, among other things.
Melissa explained that they’ve worked hard to offer a variety of “filler” decor items to go alongside the more artisan quality hand-crafted items.
“Sometimes you need a little filler to balance out your decor,” she said. “We really offer everything here to decorate your home beautifully.”
And the selection of products in the store is constantly being updated, so you don’t have to worry about getting bored with what’s available. “We will have constant turnover,” Nichole said. “There will always be new and unique items for people to purchase, so you can return to the store often and always find something beautiful.”
Beautiful Baby LineIf the stunning decor in the store isn’t enough to get your attention, the back room of the store with baby furniture, toys and other items for babies certainly will.
“We are unique in offering baby furniture in Idaho Falls,” Melissa said. “You really can’t find baby furniture around here outside of the big box stores. But we have it, and it’s good quality. We can also restock fairly quickly, so people can always come to us knowing we’ll have what they need.”
“We’ve had several friends who have had babies recently and they’ve been really helpful in showing us what we need to carry,” Nichole said. “So we started seeking out good products so we could touch them and feel them and make sure they were what we were looking for.”
Family-owned & OperatedThe labor behind the scenes at Holiday House Boutique has been a full-family effort for the Balls as well as the store manager, Jill Whitehead.
“We’ve had so much help from family on so many levels,” Nichole said. “My sister, Nattie Ball, has especially been a huge help in this process and so has Jill. We really couldn’t do this without them.”
“We are the Four Musketeers,” Melissa said. “All of us have been working around the clock to pull this together and make it work. We’ve put our hearts into this!”
With so much heart and soul behind the business, it’s not hard to see what makes it special. Head over today to see the magic for yourself.