DPBA Spotlight: Harrington Manor, a Jewel for Home Décor in Downtown Palatine
Since 2000, Harrington Manor, located at 16 S. Bothwell Street at Palatine Road has been assisting homeowners in sprucing up their décor with a wide variety of products and services.
The name Harrington Manor derived from the maiden name of owner Vicki Ruetsche's mother-in-law, who was born and raised in Ireland.
The business not only provides home accessories such as accessories, small furniture, custom floral arrangements, artwork, candles and other items, but also provides in-home design consulting to help in freshening up design and décor.
Ruetsche provides these services for a nominal fee, which is then applied toward any and all purchases.
"What I really love to do is to work with people who need suggestions, guidance and other tips on to create a home design that they truly enjoy," Ruetsche said. "I get great satisfaction out of helping to create home design that my clients love."
Ruetsche will bring items chosen by the customer to the home, so that they can be viewed in their lighting, which helps to determine how they would fit best with other decor.
Ruetsche's husband John also assists in running the business.
They pride themselves on their high level customer service, and the benefit of getting to know clients who have kept coming back over the years.
One such example is Kim Shields, who began shopping at Harrington Manor when she lived in Park Ridge more than 10 years ago. A few years back, she moved from Park Ridge to Palatine and has remained a loyal customer. The Ruetsche's joke that she may have moved to be closer to the business!
"What I love most is that everything here is so unique; really unusual finds that you don't see in other shops - and Vicki has wonderful taste," she said. "I love coming here, because Vicki never disappoints."
Harrington Manor originally opened under a different name in 1993, the Oneida County Livery, in Three Lakes, Wisconsin. Vicki and John would commute the six hour trip from Palatine often, while her parents, who lived in Wisconsin, ran the business full-time.
The decision was made in 2000 to move the business to their home town of Palatine, where the Ruetsche's were raising their family. The couple has three grown children and six grandchildren.
In addition to the wide selection of home accessories, Harrington Manor also began to sell women's accessories in recent years, carrying jewelry, scarves and other fashion-forward items.
Among the notable lines carried at the shop are Nora Fleming, Uttermost, Periwinkle Jewelry, Flameless Candles, Mixture, Aromatique, Byers Carolers and Ginger Cottages for Christmastime.
Starting in October each year, the business will be open seven days a week to accommodate busy schedules and holiday time decorating.
For more information, visit www.HarringtonManor.com.