IN: Soft yellow.

OUT: Burgundy and camel of seasons past.

—Ray Mitchener, owner of Ruth Shaw

IN: Effortless, boho-inspired peasant blouse.

OUT: Teeny tiny going-out tops.

—Brittany Parry, owner of Match Made Boutique

IN: Simple sustainable skin care routine that you can keep up with.

OUT: A 20-step skin care routine you learned off of TikTok that costs most of your paycheck.

—Annie Demczak, @anniedemm

IN: Shopping small and vintage, and repeating outfits that you love.

OUT: Fast fashion and only wearing things once.

—Rachel Mulherin, jewelry designer

IN: Disposable cameras.

OUT: Capturing every moment on your phone with no real intention.

—Hilton Carter, plant and interior stylist and author

IN: Tried and true T-shirt dress.

OUT: Floral, flashy sundresses.

—Kalilah Wright, founder of Mess in a Bottle

IN: Nike Air Max shoes—95 or 97 will do.

OUT: Nike Dunks—they were cool until they weren’t.

—DDM, musician and rapper

IN: Home decor that lightens the mood.

OUT: Stuffy status tchotchkes.

—Julie Lilienfeld, owner of Wishbone Reserve

You Do You

Mona Hajj, Mona Hajj Interiors

“We’ll see interiors with a more natural, effortless look that are beautiful and relate to the client, whether it is a well-traveled global interior or a simple lived-in interior. Less interesting are the staged and stylized interiors. They are more picture-pretty than livable.”

Plaster and Marble Sculptures

Katie Destefano, Katie Destefano Design & Owner of Curiosity…Intriguing Objects for the Home.

“Plaster and marble busts have been making a big comeback, as they add a lot of dimension and expression to a vignette. Try putting one in an unexpected place like your bathroom or closet to hold some of your accessories. If a bust still seems like too much, try a torso, hand, or even foot.”

Interior Greenery

Stephanie Bradshaw, Stephanie Bradshaw

“Plants, plants, and more plants. And bringing the outside in, not just with greenery, but natureinspired hues and warmer tones.”

Groovy Designs

Darra Sargent, Dear Darling Design Studio

“This year, we are moving away from all of the mid-century-inspired decor and moving on to a new decade—the ’70s. Think lots of oranges, yellows, and teals; macramé, rattan, velvet, terrazzo, fringe, and shag. All forms of design have been featuring ’70s-style shapes (half circles, half ovals, scalloped edges) and ’70s-inspired fonts. I think this year is going to be all about that hippie style, with a big focus on sustainability.”

Intermingling

Carmen Brock, Trohv

“Sustainable products are thankfully ever-present. It’s shifting away from being a trend and more toward a way of living long-term. This all seems to be co-mingling in a backdrop of minimalism, inspired by the declutter movement, a trend that I hope continues.”

The True Meaning of Home

Patrick Sutton, Patrick Sutton

“We have seen a strong shift toward decluttered, modern interiors filled with meaningful art and art objects—rooms that are fresh and forward-thinking while still warm and comfortable. People seem to be moving toward simplicity, quality, and a desire to make each moment of their lives memorable. And they look for their homes to reflect that desire.”

Marco Ricca

Greener Kitchens

Laura Hodges, Laura Hodges Studio

Sustainability in kitchen design is coming in strong for 2020. “We love Grohe’s new smart faucet that integrates filtered water, sparkling water, and tap water all into one faucet, eliminating the need for all kinds of plastic water bottles.”

Liveable Space

Kerry Leikus, Kerry Leikus Designs

“All white walls are out. It shouldn’t take most homeowners very long to see the obvious reasons why the white trend is less than desirable. Maintaining the pristine quality and allure of the all-white look can be difficult, especially if people intend to live in the space.”

Boho Out The Door

Quintece Hill-Mattauszek, Studio Q Designs

“We are going to start to see less and less of the free and flowy trend of the bohemian and Jungalow styles. Patterns such as Shibori, boho fringe, and woven rattans will step to the side to make way for a more tailored approach with a resurgence of upscaled vintage and retro pieces. Forget the throwaway pieces and look for the character and charm that can be modernized to fit your lifestyle.”

Colored Ceilings

Julie Lilienfeld, Athena Hoffberger, and Ryan Haase of Wishbone Reserve

“Painted ceilings are where it’s at. They make the room feel cozier and can hide a number of unsightly structural elements. Don’t be shy with your color choices. There’s lots of bright pops of color: magenta, cobalt blue, emerald green, sunshine yellow, and acid orange.”

Jewel Tones

Raina Smallwood, Cedar & Cotton

“What’s winning in 2020: deep, bold colors, specifically jewel tones. Hunter greens, deep teals, velvety plums, and even black are everywhere, and not just on our walls, but on house exteriors, kitchen cabinets, and sofas. Our homes feel more personal and lived-in, and that’s definitely a win.”

When Julie Lilienfeld looked around her vintage and consignment store, Wishbone Reserve, on Sunday, she could tell that something was off. The streets outside the Hampden shop were empty, there was plenty of parking on Falls Road, and the number of customers browsing through the store’s antique wares had dropped significantly since the day prior.

That was when Lilienfeld and co-owners Athena Hoffberger and Ryan Haase realized that they needed to prepare for their business to take a financial hit as the coronavirus and its effects continue to impact Baltimore communities.

“This is the kind of experience that you see documentaries about, but you don’t think will actually happen during your lifetime,” Lilienfeld says.

As the city braces for the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, small business owners are concerned about how directives for limiting exposure to the virus—including “social distancing,” public-school closures, and event cancellations—will hurt their bottom lines and, ultimately, the lifespan of their business. On Friday, Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young sent a letter to Gov. Larry Hogan asking him to make federal funds available to Baltimore-based small businesses through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program.

Due to the Center for Disease Control’s recommendation that people avoid crowds or large gatherings as much as possible, Pamela Hubbard, the co-owner of Lobo, says that her Fells Point corner bar has experienced a significant decline in business throughout the past two weeks. While Hubbard says the restaurant staff has always taken sanitation precautions, such as regular hand washing and wearing gloves, she’s worried about how Lobo can financially sustain a weeks or months-long slowdown in table turnover.

“You can prepare for a refrigerator to break or having to pay someone to fix your plumbing, but the cost of a pandemic is not something you have funds set aside for,” Hubbard says.

While Gov. Larry Hogan’s latest statements only cancelled public gatherings of more than 250 people, many business owners, like Daven Ralston of Charm City Books, made the decision to adjust their event schedules for the safety of themselves and their customers.

“We host tons of events each month, so it’s concerning to think about what that will do to sales heading into the spring,” says Ralston, who opened the Pigtown bookstore in November. “It’s a scary precipice to be balancing.”

A number of local shops and service providers have communicated directly with consumers about the additional measures they’re taking to keep their still-open storefronts clean and safe. On Thursday, Letta Moore, the owner of KSM Candle Co., sent out a message to her email subscribers to notify them about temporary changes to her in-house workshops, such as switching from glass stemware to disposable cups.

“If small businesses are explaining to their customers what they’re doing to combat the virus, take heed and have a little trust in them,” Moore says. “We’re boosting our efforts and it’s not cheap for us either, so I hope people consider continuing to go out and supporting the businesses when possible. Don’t give up on us.”

To combat the decrease in foot traffic and loss of revenue associated with in-house events, local purveyors are finding new ways to meet customers where they are. Several retailers, such as Brightside Boutique and Six2Six Society, are offering free or discounted shipping for online orders, while others, like Wishbone Reserve, are posting their merchandise to Instagram so buyers can shop virtually. Ralston says that she and Joseph Carlson, Charm City Books’ programming and outreach director, will deliver books and puzzles via their tandem bicycle to area customers for free.

Chanel Fleurimond, who runs Sobeachy Haitian Cuisine with her husband, Leo, says that while they don’t usually fill many delivery orders from their food stall in Cross Street Market, they plan to ramp up their efforts if business to the communal eatery remains stagnant. Fleurimond says that if people don’t want to risk visiting the Federal Hill food hall, getting Sobeachy’s traditional Haitian dishes delivered to their home is a great way to continue supporting the local venture.

Hubbard adds that purchasing a gift certificate to a local bar, restaurant, or coffee shop to be used at a later date can help boost cash flow to businesses during this slow economic period.

“[Lobo is] turning six years old this summer and we were looking forward to planning our party, and now, so quickly, a wrench got thrown into that,” Hubbard says. “People need to be aware that your favorite places to go or eat in the city are already feeling the impact of this, and will continue to have to make hard decisions about their entire business because of it.”

In light of the extremely uncertain and ever-changing circumstances, members of the small-business community are also leaning on one another, as well as local customers, for support. On Thursday, the event technology service Pixilated and networking community Startup Soiree created an online forum for Baltimore-based business owners and employees to address COVID-19-related concerns, ranging from software tools to minimize the coronavirus’ impact to links to local resources.

“We talk so much about the importance of community to local bookstores, but it really is like a relationship and a family, especially in Pigtown,” Ralston says. “If another business is hurting, we have to reach out and support them in any way we can.”

Earlier this week, the Wishbone Reserve store leaders posted a message to their Instagram followers that led with the phrase, “In like a lion, out like a lamb.” While the English proverb is typically used to describe March weather, Lilienfeld says that, deep down, she wanted the line to send a message of positivity to the shop’s worried customers.

“I don’t want people to be sympathetic; that’s not really what we’re looking for. We want them to know that them coming into [Wishbone Reserve] has been paying all of our bills,” Lilienfeld says. “We want to be truthful with people and say that we’re scared, too.”

Amid the outbreak of the coronavirus, several small businesses battle with the prospect of having to close. After several closings and social separation measures were announced across the U.S. earlier this week, vintage home store Wishbone Reserve in Hampden posted an announcement online that it would remain open and increase sanitary precautions. This spurred reactions from boutique owners around Baltimore.

Brightside Boutique has since echoed a similar sentiment, vowing to remain open and keep events scheduled as planned, “We will be closely monitoring government updates and guidelines, and will keep customers informed. We hope, if you are healthy and able to do so, that you continue to join us for the upcoming events, shop, and support small businesses,” reads an online post.

While some stores have shut down their brick-and-mortar doors, others remain open, and many have provided avenues to shop virtually. Here is a roundup of boutiques that have formally announced their opening status so far:

OPEN IN-STORE AND ONLINE:

• Brightside Boutique *Offering 15-percent-off and free shipping.
• Match Made Stores *Open by appointment only and offering 15-percent-off online purchases using code: spring15.
• Plantacea *Only two customers allowed in shop at a time, offering curbside delivery.
• 2910 on the Square *Reduced hours Tuesday-Friday 12pm-6pm, Saturday 11am-5pm, Sunday 10am-4pm as well as offering delivery.

ONLINE ONLY:

• A Style Studio *Offering free shipping on all orders.
• Arrow Clothing *Continuing their online-only operations as usual.
• B.Willow *Options for pickup or local delivery within 20 mins of the shop and waived $15 delivery fee.
• Becket Hitch *Offering online shopping and in-store private appointments.
• Best Day Ever
• Bottle of Bread
• Boutique W
• The Codex Club *Offering free shipping.
• Domesticity *Offering curbside pick-up and same-day delivery.
• Doubledutch Boutique *Offering 20-percent-off sale items and free shipping or curbside pick-up for online sales. In-store private appointments are available.
• Found Studio Shop
• Get Shredded Vintage
• Hunting Ground
• Ma Petite Shoe
• Milagro *Offering free shipping.
• Milk and Ice Vintage
• Mint & Major *Offering 20-percent-off online using code: MAJOR20, free shipping on orders over $25, curbside pick-up and drop-offs.
• Poppy & Stella
• Raina Dawn *Offering curbside pick-up and in-store private appointments.
• Six2Six Society
• South Moon Under
• Wishbone Reserve

OPEN IN-STORE ONLY:

• Amaryllis
• Forward Moda
• Keeper’s Vintage
• Matava Shoes
• Panache *Reduced hours 10am-4pm with in-store private appointments, curbside pickup, and free delivery available.
• Pandora’s Box
• Wee Chic *Reduced hours 10am-4pm.

CLOSED:

• In Watermelon Sugar *Offering in-store private appointments or curbside pick-up.
• Ruth Shaw
• Sassanova *Offering in-store private appointments, drop-offs, curbside pick-up, and free shipping.
• Shops at Kenilworth
• Tortuga

While you might not believe in the healing power of crystals, you can’t deny the magnificence of their beauty. At least, that’s what jewelry designer Kari Dern is banking on. At Become Spellbound, she uses the earthly elements for striking design—large chunks of sparkling crystals hand-sculpted into a pendant with an adjustable leather necklace. “I don’t want it to look like a necklace, but something that makes you look like a superhuman,” Dern says. We chatted with Dern about starting her own business and the power of crystals.

How did you get into being a jewelry designer?
I was living in Manhattan, developing [a jewelry-making] process as a hobby for myself, and I found out I’d be moving back to Baltimore for my husband’s career. Once I knew that, it made a lot of sense to take the leap
of faith to give this a shot. I began to roll out these [necklaces] on Instagram, and people bought them. It was scary. It was slow when I first started. But it ramped up gradually, and now I feel like I don’t have enough time to create. It felt as if the universe was saying, “Yeah, duh, you knew you were supposed to be doing this.” The funny thing about it was that I [just] wanted to create these things, not be a business owner, but here we are! It started going well, and I launched the website in 2018.

What led you to decide to use crystals?
I wanted to wear them all the time. I’m a big fan of crystal jewelry. And years ago, the things I would wear and buy, as much as I loved them, I felt like I wanted something that pushed the boundaries a little more, something that had a wilder feel.

Does each necklace have a particular meaning?
Each crystal is tied to a certain element and also aligns with one or more of the chakras. I do feel like they each have their own vibration, and sometimes you connect with a crystal, sometimes you don’t. It might just be a thing that’s pretty and what you want to wear, or it’s the energy that you need. If you feel connected to the energies, that’s awesome. If you think it’s just something beautiful, that’s great, too. At the same time, who are we to say these are different things? If you think it’s beautiful, maybe you’re just drawn to the energy. I’m all about letting people have their own journeys.

What goes into creating the pieces?
I buy whatever crystal I love and what I’m drawn to. I do try to keep in mind the mentality of what everyone likes, but at the same time, I still will only buy what is beautiful to me. It’s trusting my intuition about what I like aesthetically and energetically and hoping it connects with someone else. I hand-sculpt [the casings] with a clay material. I may go back to [finish one necklace] over a few days, but it takes about four or more hours for each one. I really enjoy it.

Where can we buy Become Spellbound jewelry?
I have pieces in Wishbone Reserve located in Hampden, but generally, I mostly sell online.
I have a few pieces in art galleries across the country, but online and on Instagram are where the people are interested, and they get it.

Whether it’s to highlight the color of a certain season or just based on your mood, throw pillows are an easy way to add a pop of color, texture, and personality to any room.

Top row, left to right: Cloud9 Design ivory-and-blue ombré pillow ($265) at Nouveau Home and Interior Design. Scenic landscape pillow ($39) at West Elm. Modern print pillow ($240) at The House Downtown. Middle row, left to right: Flower textured pillow ($124) at Nouveau Home and Interior Design. Silk ikat pillow ($42) at Wishbone Reserve. Ikat composition crewel pillow ($49) at West Elm. Bottom row, left to right: Neutral leopard pillow ($275) at The House Downtown. Custom pillow ($45) at Su Casa. Turkish kilim pillow ($42) at Wishbone Reserve.

HAPPY PLACE: The vision for the room was to create a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city. Our goal was to find warm and comfortable pieces to create a place where we could relax. 

COMFORT ZONE: The space was pretty bare when we got it. Normally, we tend to gravitate towards mid-century modern stuff but it’s typically not the coziest style, so we went with things that were cozier to lounge in. It’s definitely a touch bohemian, and then the plan was to add a lot of greenery to bring in more color. 

LIFE CHANGING: We wanted there to be some life in the room so we got hanging plants from B. Willow in Remington. We also found this vintage birdcage that we stuck a fern into and it’s since thrived so we’ve kept it there. 

UNDER THE INFLUENCE: We follow local stores like Wishbone Reserve in Mt. Washington, Cedar and Cotton in Southwest Baltimore, and Off Main in Catonsville on Instagram. They are always inspiring us with different pieces and design ideas. 

SITTING PRETTY: The rocking chair is an old Eames rocking chair. We aren’t sure how old it is but my guess would be that it was made in the sixties. We found it at Home Anthology in Catonsville! 

CUT A RUG: The carpet is a hundred-year-old Kazak rug from Wishbone Reserve. We loved how vibrant it was and how the pattern had blues and greens in it, which is hard to find. It’s more geometric and tribal, which makes it unique from all of the floral patterns you typically see. However, when we got it, it had some tears and a hole in it. The excellent folks at Main Street Oriental in Ellicott City did an absolutely wonderful job of repairing it. They even matched the pattern and workmanship and their work probably doubled the value of the piece. 

TABLE IT: The table (also from Wishbone Reserve—Julie has a great eye!) is pretty unusual. It’s stone with little pebbles encased on a resin top, so it’s really earthy and free-flowing as far as shapes. We don’t like anything that has lines that are too rigid. 

SHED LIGHT ON: We recently put curtains up in the room to keep it cooler during the summer months. Finding curtains that had a little texture and were sheer enough to diffuse light through was difficult. We ended up going with a Belgian flax fabric from Pottery Barn. 

Large sansevieria plant ($33) and large white planter ($25) at Green Fields Nursery & Landscaping. 

Cedar and cotton tiny wicker chair ($8) at B. Willow. Snake plant ($16) at Green Fields Nursery & Landscaping. 

Vermont wood candle cloche ($86) at Becket Hitch. 3 Angles planter ($15) and capitata yellow air plant ($16) at B. Willow. 

Large ($85) and medium ($65) gold candlesticks at Becket Hitch. 

Porcelain tooth ($24) at B. Willow. 

Barrel cactus ($20) at Green Fields Nursery & Landscaping. 

Medium pyrite ($26) and bone-inlayed box ($102) at Trohv. Gold pyramid (set of three/$189) at Nouveau Home and Interior Design. 

White Mason jar ($25) at Becket Hitch. Dumb cane plant ($3) at Green Fields Nursery & Landscaping.

Barrel cactus ($19.95) at Green Fields Nursery & Landscaping. 

Banquet cacti print ($52) at Trohv. 

Vintage bottle covers ($10/each) at Wishbone Reserve. 

Spider plant ($20) at B. Willow. 

Black planter ($10) and small sansevieria plant ($16) at Green Fields Nursery & Landscaping. Station North Tool Library wooden planter ($8/each), harrisii air plant ($5), and punctulata air plant ($8) at B. Willow. Arthur Umanoff midcentury bar ($550) at Wishbone Reserve. 

Upgrade your tablescape with personalized marble tiles.

Don’t fret if you don’t have enough seating on hand for all of your guests: Scatter outdoor poufs and lay small rugs for a laid-back lounge area.

What’s the most embarrassing trend you used to love?
AH: ’90s eyebrows. I see pictures of myself and they were so painfully plucked that I’m just like, “Girl! Fill those in!”
JL: In college I was really into psychedelic tapestries. Some of my choices for wall coverings were a little questionable.

What is your guilty pleasure?
JL: The Bravo network. Any Real Housewife show. Oh, and One Direction. Specifically Harry Styles.
AH: Mindless TV and wine. Throw in a little chocolate, too.

How did you get the name for your boutique?
AH: Wishbone is always the name I had envisioned for a business. It’s representative of something that’s a great tradition and has been passed on from generation to generation. Reserve for us means that there’s a curated eye behind every choice and it’s not just a junk shop. We see something in everything we sell.

Do you have a go-to saying or motto?
AH: Add light, not heat. I try to apply that to everything.

No outfit is complete without . . .
JL: I wouldn’t leave home without my Georgian Gimmel ring. I bought this at auction. It’s European and from the early 1800s.
AH: Something personal, meaningful, or sentimental.

What are your current favorite and least favorite trends?
AH: I don’t like anything to be too perfect or matching. I think it’s unrealistic and not interesting. I like it when people play by their own rules.
JL: I love overalls, but a lot of other ’90s fashion I’m not really feeling right now. With fashion, it’s always cyclical but it’s funny to see it back in action.

Our picks:

(1950’s Party Dress $150; Picasso print $125; Flower Power chair $150)