Instead of relocating with her company to Atlanta after Hurricane Harvey flooded her corporate office in Houston in August 2017, Magnolia resident Monica Jordan said she decided to give in to her entrepreneurial spirit.

“We decided there’s no better time than now, and if we’re going to do it, then we just need to do it—like, maybe, this was our sign,” Jordan said.

Jordan along with her husband, Mark, opened Agnes Belle in Vintage Park in July 2018. Named for her grandmother, Agnes Charrier, the home decor and gift boutique aims to showcase the Southern style and hospitality she remembers during summers spent with her grandmother in the countryside, said Jordan, who hails from Louisiana.

“We have a wholesaler out of Tennessee for all of our furniture, and we currently support 16 small businesses throughout the U.S. where we get a lot of our products from,” Jordan said. “All of them are some sort of handmade, whether it’s our wooden signs, our wine glasses or our jewelry. I like supporting small businesses because they just put a lot more into their product, and there’s so much talent out there.”

Lines available at the store range from Milkhouse Candles and Southern E-Scentual bath and body products to Pampa Bay serving ware and Stippled Glass products.


As Jordan is the only employee running the store seven days a week—with the exception of Mark, who helps out seasonally in addition to his own full-time job—Jordan said she is unable to do in-home design; instead, she helps customers design spaces through photos.

“It’s hard to find home decor places that have nice items,” Jordan said. “You can go to big-box stores, but you see the same stuff from block to block. I like helping people find something unique that when they bring it home, they’re happy with it.”

In addition to off-the-floor purchases, Jordan said Agnes Belle also has a warehouse full of inventory and offers free furniture delivery within a 50-mile radius. Jordan said the store also offers complementary gift wrapping, online shopping and pay over time options. In 2019, Jordan also launched a rewards program in which customers can receive $5 in store credit for every $100 spent at Agnes Belle.

In the future, Jordan said she plans to add more small-business lines, such as one for pottery, to the boutique, as well as more storage and seating options. Additionally, Jordan said she is planning to launch a “Meet the Maker” series on the store’s blog, which will share the story behind each Agnes Belle product. Jordan uses the blog to share family recipes and home decor tips.


“It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun, and I guess if you do something that you love, it’s just fun—even though it is a lot of work,” she said.

Agnes Belle

130 Vintage Park Blvd., Houston

281-257-5841


www.agnesbelle.com

Hours: Mon.-Wed. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Thu.-Sat. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. noon-4 p.m.

Meet the Maker: Stippled Glass

Based in South Carolina, Stippled Glass is a line crafted by Melissa Zjaci. Hand-painted items include ceramic and glass mugs, plates, wine glasses, bowls, candleholders, spoon rests and coasters, available at Agnes Belle or through the Stippled Glass Etsy page. Agnes Belle offers an exclusive line of Stippled Glass mugs as each mug pallet is designed from an inspirational image.


For more information about Stippled Glass, visit www.etsy.com/shop/stippledglass.