28 | LUXlife Magazine Best Gift & Interior Retailer 2024 – Northeast Florida The breathtaking coastal scenery of Amelia Island, Florida is an inspiring landscape for creative minds to inhabit. This much is true for interior design and décor store Coastal Cottage of Amelia, operated by expert Yvonne Fenn. We speak to Yvonne about the past and future of her award-winning company. Nestled within the tranquil haven of Amelia Island, Coastal Cottage of Amelia is a design and décor store that specialises in a number of services for the local community. In addition to distributing high quality furniture and home décor, the company offers custom framing and interior design services. Coastal Cottage of Amelia is dedicated to providing unique interior design options that are tailored to client tastes. The company designs with a constant focus on the form and function of the finished piece, whilst maintaining an expert level of style. “Where style meets comfort, and every detail tells a story.” The objective for Coastal Cottage of Amelia is customer satisfaction every time. Every customer matters to the company, no matter the request. The company prides itself on going the extra mile with each customer and adjusting designs to factor in client taste. This personal touch when it comes to customer service is a testament to the company being the recipient of three Nassau County Awards just a year after launching. Voted by the public through the News Leader local newspaper, Coastal Cottage of Amelia was awarded Best Interior Design, Best Gift & Boutique, and Best Place to Work. Despite its recent successes, Yvonne admits that there have been challenges along the way. She says, “The internet is a major challenge when you are a brick-and-mortar store.” The company provides a personal touch that you don’t always receive through online shopping in the hopes that it will continue to build its loyal customer base. Understanding the importance of shopping locally itself, the business showcases local artwork in its gift shop for increased exposure. The increase in online shopping does not mean an end to physical retail, however, and the company has noticed an uptick in sales over the past year. Yvonne notes, “We are seeing the economy improve and people adjusting their spending and shopping more than last year.” The next year looks exciting for Coastal Cottage of Amelia, with plans to launch the company’s own line of furniture manufactured in North Carolina. This collection will provide customers with high quality furniture made with local resources. Furthermore, the company always evolves its products and services to stay relevant to its competition. “When one door closes, another door opens.” The road to success has not been easy for company founder Yvonne Fenn. A longtime Connecticut resident, she worked as a global strategic consultant and part-time interior designer alongside general contractor husband Scott Fenn. In 2016, Yvonne’s life changed forever following Scott’s passing and she was left wondering what to do next. In 2017, Yvonne moved back to Florida, her home state, so that she could be closer to her parents in Tampa. With a local family history dating back to the 1800s, she felt that Amelia Island was the perfect place to call home. Yvonne set to work in designing and building her own custom home on the island, a process that brought her closer to Scott through channelling their shared passion for interior design. Yvonne became the sole caregiver of her parents in 2019, but this proved difficult once the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions subsided. She soon saw that her consultation career required her to be on the road often, which was not feasible when caring for her parents. The solution arrived in 2022, when Yvonne bought the assets of a failing business and transformed it into the renowned Coastal Cottage of Amelia. Yvonne was able to combine her business acumen with her extensive design experience to provide stellar interior design services to her community. As time has passed, both Yvonne and her store have continued to evolve and exceed in both design and customer service. Yvonne has overcome so much on her journey to get here, and it is clear to see that nothing will stand in her way. We look forward to the future of Costal Cottage of Amelia, and hope that the upcoming year will be as successful as the last – if not more! Contact: Yvonne Fenn Company: Coastal Cottage of Amelia, Inc. Web Address: www.coastalcottageamelia.com
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