I was at the beach over the weekend, and had a chance to visit the owners of the best little home shop on the Delaware shore: Carolina Street, which I have mentioned briefly in a previous post. Dee Dee and Paul Phillips have lived in Fenwick for-EVER, and they regaled me with stories about old Fenwick history and people. It was a great hour and a half on a Saturday afternoon.

Just walking up to the shop, which of course faces Carolina Street on the corner of Coastal Highway in Fenwick Island, makes you smile:

The couple has owned this building for more than 40 years, when they first opened as antiques dealers.

The store is now housed in two buildings, separated in the middle with a courtyard containing all manner of garden pots and decorative statuary. The Phillips live above the second building, and enjoy a hidden balcony that looks down on their garden courtyard.

Here is more of what they look down at:

What a great collection of pets!

I had the pleasure of meeting the Phillips because their daughter Julia, the incredibly talented decorative artist who runs Monkon Studios with her husband, spotted my reference to their shop on this blog (more on Julia in a future post).

Dee Dee and Paul deserve lots of praise — along with most other retailers who are still in business in this lousy economy — for keeping their store open as wholesalers have cracked down, demanding payments up front or within 30 days  on furniture and accessories. In a seasonal business, especially when they ramp up for the spring/summer rush before customers arrive to spend their money — it’s incredibly difficult to manage that kind of payment schedule.

But they have such great, whimsical taste, and that’s probably what’s kept them around — there really is something for everyone.

Their home is representative of what they sell — a mix of color, antiques, and artwork and old signs that bring a smile to your face.

Most people are afraid to fill up their walls like this, but when everything has a common theme like this menagerie of the sea, it really works.

Another view, looking into the dining room.

All the color in the living room is balanced with old pieces such as this table and chairs — a sofa table that doubles as extra dining space for guests.

The Phillips have hung signs throughout their home, which are for sale in the shop below.

On the balcony.

More inside.

Above the kitchen entry.

Downstairs, the store offers a great mix of furniture, accessories, art and gifts.

This upholstery just screams “beach!”

The art on the left wall is by Robert Knutsen, which is a huge seller here.

LOVE this rug. WANT this rug. (and the chaise on the right isn’t bad, either.)

Artwork is everywhere here, along with feathered friends. But what really caught my eye is the cool quatrefoil table in a driftwood-y finish.

The Phillips are great with product display — this collection of lanterns is its own still-life.

What a fabulous birdhouse.

And many more birdhouses perch in the front window.

If you find yourself in Ocean City, Bethany or Rehoboth during this next month (or better yet, when fall’s cooler temps set in), please go visit Dee Dee and Paul — as much for the delightful conversation as for what they have to offer. You’ll come away happy.

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