Today we’d like to introduce you to Sheila Kuhl.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My husband and I opened our first business in the Grove in 1986 offering custom picture framing services and local artwork including my own Chinese Brush Paintings. My husband Frank, newly retired from the Air Force,
set about building frames while I sold and did the matting and finishing in our small shop on Bird Ave in the Grove.
Slowly, we grew a reputation for service, creativity, and a willingness to do almost anything asked of us.
Over the years, we raised our three children, all of whom learned to frame and be of service to clients. We were able to purchase our first building in 4 years which allowed us to expand our services and explore the accessories and furnishings business. Eventually, I was trained in a furniture placement process called Visual Coordination and so we offered this service which evolved into House to Home Move-Ins. In 2001, we were able to purchase the rest of the 2800 block of Bird Avenue. With 15,000 square feet of building our little business expanded into a complete design center offering one stop shopping with just about everything for the home.
Our children were off to college and then onto their professions including our youngest, Janel, who graduated from UF in Interior Design with a second major in Business. She worked in Dallas and then Phoenix for large architectural and interior design businesses for 7 years before she delighted us with her announcement that she was ready to join our business. With her interest in construction design, Janel was able to add new dimensions to our services and expand the business so that today we have 9 design staff on board with 11 support staff. Our talented staff makes all the many services that we provide today from framing to window treatments to custom furnishing, bedding, tabletop and more come together with beautiful precision.
After 32 years, it is a joy to see old friends come by as well as meet the new ones who come to explore our house of treasures. We love to support a variety of charities with special events. We present over 50 artists in our gallery and throughout the showroom and frequently have art show openings for them. The many dog lovers who visit know Janel and me as 13-year-old Bailey’s and 20 months old Paisley’s moms. It’s a joy to go to work each day to manage the huge range of amazing projects that keep our creative juices flowing as we continue to embrace something new each day. Sometimes, it’s a tiny framing job and other times, it’s a whole house renovation. We love it that everyone opens us to something new.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
In 32 years, we have lived through hurricanes all the way back to Andrew, We have encountered unscrupulous individuals offering various business ventures, Just buying the buildings and dealing with all that comes with owning a 92-year-old building has its own challenges. Then, there’s stock market crashes, recessions, 9/11 and that follows those things.
The saddest of all for us was the loss of my husband last year to cancer. But making Janel a partner in the firm before he went has proved to be wonderful for us both.
Life is chocked full of lessons and challenges, but it’s not so much the end game that matters as the joys and challenges of the trip we are taking.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are proud of the environment we have created for all our clients to experience. We treasure so many relationships with clients/friends, artists/friends, vendors/friends.
We specialize in beautiful things. We love to go into a home and make it better, often without adding much at all but placing things as they are meant to be.
Our longevity alone makes us unique, but it’s all the experience that comes with it that is most important.
What were you like growing up?
Passionate, creative, outspoken, challenging,
Failure was never an option.
Contact Info:
- Address: Grove Gallery & Interiors
2884 Bird Avenue
Coconut Grove, FL 33133 - Website: www.grovegalleryinteriors.com
- Phone: 305-445-7401
- Email: designers@grovegalleryinteriors.com
- Instagram: @grovegalleryinteriors
- Facebook: @grovegalleryinteriors
- Other: Pinterest – @grovegalleryinteriors
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
