The floor at 14 Hill
photo by tj turner
After shop in the city moved out of its 48th and Chicago storefront, veteran retail buyer Julie Stamps realized there no longer was a gift shop in her neighborhood, which is also home to indie antique and clothing retailers such as Carver Junk Company and Primp.
Like Patina, Stamps’s longtime employer, 14 Hill sells a broad selection of gifts, spanning home goods, kitchenware, stationery, jewelry, cookbooks, candles, games, novelty socks, kids’ toys, and Minnesota-themed goods. And a closer look demonstrates Stamps’s knack for sourcing unique products, such as corkscrews shaped like elephants, mini Pac-Man arcade games, and McCrea’s Caramels, which are infused with ingredients such as black lava sea salt and ginger.
The store also supports Minnesota-made goods, including fragrances and candles by Thymes, jewelry by Larissa Loden, and scarves by Jupi Designs, plus local catering company Chowgirls’ new cookbook, Chowgirls Killer Party Food: Righteous Bites & Cocktails for Every Season.
Unlike some gift stores in town, which can have a crafty, cluttered appearance, the store is well organized and easy to navigate, with sections devoted to barware, home entertaining, and kids’ toys. Stamps also gave the space a minimalist, industrial-modern facelift, revealing concrete floors, exposed ductwork, and white brick walls that make it look more like a modern furniture store than a neighborhood gift shop. The store is decorated with minimalist pendant lights, concrete-base lamps, modular shelving units, antiqued wall mirrors, and glazed pottery—all of which is for sale. “Lighting is really important in my home,” she explains, “so I wanted my store to reflect that.”
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Check out extra photos, plus Jahna Peloquin’s Retail Spotlight of 14 Hill on the TC Style Blog.
