KC needs elevated ambience, founder says; how her soon-to-open Westwood home store sets the table for ‘touches of trend’
December 6, 2024 | Joyce Smith
The moment local shoppers — aspiring to better entertain friends and loved ones — heard what Sarah Brown’s online store was offering, her home and lifestyle business “just blew up,” she said, detailing the demand now pushing the brand’s jump to brick and mortar.
Place setting by Blair & Blythe; courtesy photo
“It showed that people in Kansas City need and want what I’m offering,” said Brown, founder of Blair & Blythe, which focuses on traditional merchandise for the home with “touches of trend” — European brands, vintage, and other items unique to the metro.
“People in the South are just masters of hosting,” continued Brown, who spent time in Texas working in retail. “Seeing that hole in the market, I wanted to bring it here.”
Through its three-year-old online shop, Blair & Blythe carries “elevated tabletop” items including fine china, flatware, drinkware, cocktail and dinner napkins, tablecloths and table runners, and candleholders, as well as stationery, lamps, Mahjong game accessories, and furniture (currently swivel chairs, bar carts, Winchester chests, rattan coffee tables and more).
Click here to check out Blair & Blythe on Instagram.
Blair & Blythe’s popularity with locals online inspired Brown to explore a physical space in the metro — ultimately leading her and her husband to purchase a two-story, nearly 6,000-square-foot building at 4812 Rainbow Blvd. in Westwood in 2023.
View this post on Instagram
Renovation work on the building — formerly Ambience Furs, also owned by a local couple, which had long operated in the space, but closed last year when the owners retired — is near completion with Blair & Blythe tying up inspections and other finishing touches.
“It’s a very old building, built in 1930, and we are giving it new life,” said Brown, who is trained as a professional counselor, primarily working with adults with personality disorders, and substance abuse issues, as well as couples counseling.
Rehabbing the Westwood space — which includes a new floor plan, design consultation room, and shipping and receiving dock — gave Brown a new creative outlet from the counseling job; a diversion that also fueled the initial creation of Blair & Blythe, she said.
An opening date for the brick and mortar has not yet been announced.
Click here to follow Blair & Blythe’s journey to opening.
The mid-renovation Blair & Blythe storefront at 4812 Rainbow Blvd. in Westwood; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Place setting by Blair & Blythe; courtesy photo
The shop will have a gift and wedding registry, and Brown wants to launch her own luxury curated line of table linens and tabletop pieces.
For the holidays, Brown already has pulled together stag head serving sets and bowls, Candy Stripe & Checks lumbar pillows, and tartan check assorted dish towels.
“After COVID we all understand the importance of coming together,” Brown said. “To have a story laid out on your table I think is just so special.”
Startland News contributor Joyce Smith covered local restaurants and retail for nearly 40 years with The Kansas City Star. Click here to follower on X (formerly Twitter), here for Facebook, here for Instagram, and by following #joyceinkc on Threads.
2024 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
It’s sweet victory for Brown Suga; KC’s favorite cookie crew wins AltCap Your Biz (and a $25K treat)
After winning the $25,000 grand prize at Wednesday’s AltCap Your Biz pitch competition, Brown Suga will get some cookie-shaped new wheels, shared founder Ebony Paul. Before opening a brick-and-mortar in Olathe, the cookie bakery launched in 2020 selling at pop-ups and community events. Adding a food truck will help Brown Suga continue to hit the…
World Cup is sprinting closer; entrepreneurs should be preparing now, say regional biz leaders
Kansas City is kicking plans into high gear as the 2026 FIFA World Cup heads to the pitch — with local leaders eager to capitalize on the massive economic impact expected from the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “The 2026 World Cup will be the largest event mankind has ever put on, and it’s going to be the…
Just funded: LaunchKC unveils 7 newest grant winners, topping $385K in startup capital
LaunchKC’s big reveal Tuesday was about more than checking a box — or getting hands on oversized checks — with grant competition winners taking the stage to introduce their companies to an eager community of supporters, entrepreneurs and investors. “This event is incredible,” said Donnie Hampton, co-founder of Roz, one of seven startups honored Tuesday…
This founder’s own pain point became too painful; Why he’s back to embracing the loss that sparked his startup
When healthtech founder Chris Jones pivoted away from the painful memory of losing his son — a catalyst for launching his medical records startup — he shelved a vital piece of the “why” behind both his company and his passion, Jones said. “I never understood what my power was — not just the technology —…