Call it farmhouse, country or cottage: How a Geneva home decor store has evolved over 33 years

When we married 40 years ago, my wife had a country motif in our house. I had moved from Naperville to St. Charles, so I figured I was “out in the country” now.

That’s how men who don’t know much about this stuff tend to think.

Still, one of our activities was looking at home decor and furniture with a country flair. During that time, it was a pretty good fit to stop by the Country Naturals store in downtown Geneva on occasion.

But the owners, as did my wife over time, had figured out that you have to change to follow the latest trends. Even though the store still had the word “country” in it, there was a lot more going on inside for all tastes and home settings.

Sisters Sue Hadley and Deb Hilton have operated Country Naturals at 316 Campbell St. since 1992, operating out of an 1850 historic, 12-room house. They started Country Naturals on the top level of the house, renting first-floor rooms to other entrepreneurs. Eventually, they expanded across the house, filling all rooms with farmhouse accents, candles, natural soaps, florals, primitives, garden items, and vintage items.

“I would describe the current trend as farmhouse or cottage,” Hadley said. “It is homey and cozy. Some customers come in and say they just needed therapy today by coming here. So, this is a feel-good store.”

Hilton agrees, saying Country Naturals is always “in transition.”

“Past trends have included shabby chic, which featured more woods and whites,” she noted. “But we also have vintage items and antiques.”

It’s been quite a run in Geneva for the sisters, who live in the Plato Center area west of Elgin.

Prior to getting into the home decor business, they operated a greenhouse in Elgin. It got too difficult to continue doing that while their children were young.

“As the kids got to be school age, we decided to open up a shop. That way, we could still be home for the kids after school and have other people working with us on the weekends,” Hilton said.

October annually triggers one of the best times of the year for the store, with a carryover from autumn and Halloween to Christmas fare.

The outside of Country Naturals has always been appealing, especially when showcasing that farmhouse or cozy cottage look.

Once inside, any type of music can be setting a mood. During my visit, the 1957 hit “Come Go With Me” by the Del-Vikings was the background music.

“Deb’s playlist today even had (soul singer) Sam Cooke, so even the music can be vintage,” Hadley said of her sister’s choices in music.

It all adds to the enjoyment of browsing through a store like Country Naturals.

“We love being in Geneva,” Hadley added. “It’s a great town, with a lot of little festivals in addition to what the chamber of commerce puts on. We’ve seen a lot come and go in this town.

“The town has become more well-known over time and the downtown is full of shops, which helps all of us.”

This ‘Zone’ is open

A couple of months ago, I mentioned a new Pita Zone Mediterranean Grill was coming to the former Chipotle location at 1441 S. Randall Road in Geneva.

Under the management of White Bread Inc., the Pita Zone is officially up and running. The Geneva store is the second Pita Zone, with one having operated in Bolingbrook for more than a year.

Early reviews from diners on social media indicate most like this new Mediterranean food option. And, of course, the menu item photos posted on social media always look good.

Lululemon coming soon

I have to take my wife’s word on this one, because I honestly had never heard of this retailer.

She seemed impressed that a Lululemon store was coming to the Geneva Commons, with a target date of opening at the end of November if all goes well with construction plans.

That target opening information was supplied through a social media note from Diane Marie, who will manage the new store.

But what is Lululemon? It’s a men’s and women’s “activewear, loungewear and footwear” store, according to its website.

The store will be located in the former Pink store spot, next to the Williams-Sonoma and Hollister stores.

A swing of joy

A big shout out should go to the St. Charles Kiwanis for its continuing efforts and contributions to bring ADA-approved wheelchair swings to parks in St. Charles.

The latest became available for kids at the Wasco Elementary School, following up on the wheelchair swing at Pottawatomie Park.

To see the joy that children express when using one of these ADA swings lets everyone know the Kiwanis contribution of $10,000 toward the swing is worth every penny.

Yes, we know of O’Brien

In a note about the great Scarecrow Festival in St. Charles a couple of weeks ago, we were walking through Lincoln Park and heard singer Dennis O’Brien performing with his bandmates on the park’s stage.

I said, “Oh, Dennis O’Brien is playing.” My son asked, “Is this yet another person you know?”

Of course, we know of Dennis O’Brien. At least, we’ve heard him sing his vast array of songs at various events over the past four decades or so.

For those who maybe haven’t, I would just say this is a local fellow who has made a lot of people happy with his music for a long time.

Last hurrah for GNP

Speaking of playing music a long time, we attended what was promoted at The Venue in Aurora last weekend as the final concert for GNP (Gross National Product), a group of Batavians who have been playing rock music since the 1960s.

For the past six years, band members (usually about 10), including Jim Freedlund of Batavia on lead guitar and “EZ” Dave Haines, now of Geneva, on harmonica and saxophone, have come together for one show in the late summer or fall.

The musicians who live out of state make the trip in, and it has always been a joy to watch when they are all back on stage together. It’s amazing how good they sound, even when doing this only once a year.

If it’s over now, it makes me wish I had ventured into the Tri-Cities area all those years ago to see these fellows from the beginning.

Warners to make the move

Bill Warner was one of the first public officials to introduce himself to me and help me understand what was going on when I was a green reporter covering Campton Township board meetings in 1977.

Most of my previous experience had been in sports writing and I would eventually get back to that, but my first job out of the gate was covering news in the townships and villages west of the Tri-Cities.

That made it all the more important to meet a Bill Warner early on.

This comes as no surprise to those who have known Bill and his service as an employee in the St. Charles School District, an active member of his church, and many other roles.

Bill and his wife Nancy have sold their home of 68 years on Campton Hills Road, and will move to Greenville, South Carolina in November to be closer to a son.

This is difficult news for their many friends, especially a loyal group that established a “Restaurant Club” in 1991 in which four couples would take turns researching restaurants in various areas and sharing information about the destinations.

This morphed into a year-end vacation destination, as the couples enjoyed vacations together in places like Door County, Wisconsin or Branson, Missouri, and later to overseas locations like Spain, Jamaica and Costa Rica.

The group is planning to get together Friday, Oct. 25, at Sorrento’s Restaurant in Maple Park for what some feel could potentially be the last time they dine together.

That’s how the transitions of life occur, but we sure will miss having Bill and Nancy Warner here after all of the years they worked to make it a better place.

Public art in the woods

We certainly enjoy the various pieces of public art in the area, and we spent a lot of time walking through Kane County Forest Preserves. So, why not combine the two?

The Kane County Forest Preserve is doing just that, planning to unveil a sculpture titled “Guardians,” to be placed June 8, 2025, at the Johnson’s Mound preserve in Elburn as part of the district’s 100th anniversary.

“Guardians” will be an abstract sculpture created by West Chicago sculptor Mike Baur portraying the life cycle of downed trees. That makes it all of the more relevant at Johnson’s Mound, a preserve left in a natural setting with many downed trees.

Some new trees will be planted at a “Centennial Grove” at Johnson’s Mound, the district’s oldest preserve. A restoration of 35 acres at the site is also part of the centennial plans.

dheun@sbcglobal.net