Photo by Liza Winkler
Photo by Liza Winkler
Photo by Liza Winkler
Photo by Liza WinklerOffering in-home dcor consultations and an assortment of locally made gifts, Elegant Domain owner Sharon Freeman strives to create a personal shopping experience for her customers.
"I think we're all about customer service," Freeman said. "If you want a less expensive gift you can go to Marshalls, you can go wherever, but I don't think our prices are bad here. People come here because they want to be tended to they want help with suggestions."
Long before establishing Elegant Domain, Freeman worked as a designer and was encouraged by her husband to open a home dcor store. Freeman took a leap nine years ago once her children headed to college and began her venture into the small business world.
Elegant Domain found a home in the shopping center near Kroger along FM 2920 for five years before relocating to its current location along Hwy. 249. The business focused largely on design services until the economy took a downturn, and Freeman shifted her focus to gifts in an effort to become more "market driven."
The business now has three employees and provides in-home dcor consultations, custom furniture and a variety of products from the Tyler Candle Company, Willow Tree and Jon Hart Design.
"We have a very loyal customer base, and we're driven by things that they ask us to have," Freeman said. "When we first were down there [near Kroger], we were selling, for instance, pillar candles for homes, and people wanted jar candles. So at that point, I knew that I wanted to try and get Tyler Candle because it's such a staple."
Freeman said the business earns about 70 percent of its annual profits during the Christmas holiday season. Halloween, Mother's Day and spring graduations bring in a considerable amount of customers looking for gifts as well, she said.
"It's real interesting—we have men that come in but twice a year for their wife's birthday and Christmas," Freeman said. "We have a guy that comes up, he's a construction worker and he comes in on a motorcycle about twice a month. He burns the Tyler mixer melts, and we know him quite well."
Freeman said she works hard to stay fresh in the home dcor industry by attending markets and keeping close relationships with her vendors. No two days are ever the same at Elegant Domain, and there is an ebb and flow of both new and returning customers all the time, she said.
"We help [customers] if they have something that they want in their home," Freeman said. "If they say, 'Oh I'm looking for something for my mantle,' we'll point out things that will work in their home. If somebody comes in and says, 'Oh I have a friend that just lost her husband,' we'll show them a Willow Tree [product] where the little angel has her hands on her heart."
Freeman, who moved to the greater Tomball area about 14 years ago from Dallas, frequently gives back to local schools and supports the Tomball Animal Rescue. Freeman looks to continue expanding Elegant Domain's customer base and furthering the business' close-knit relationship with the community.
"I tell people that if they're in here and looking at houses in the area that I just can't think of a better place to especially raise a family, and there's great schools," Freeman said. "I think it's a business-friendly atmosphere here. I have contacts in The Woodlands that say they feel constantly pushed out by the big-box stores, but I don't feel that here."
Products
- Tyler Candle Company
- Willow Tree by Susan Lordi
- Jon Hart Design
- Custom-made local furniture
- "Real Housewives" custom wine glasses
- Jewelry
- Seasonal gifts
- Religious gifts
Specials and Deals
- Free gift wrapping
- Varying daily "come-in-the-door" specials
- Monthly sales are advertised via Facebook
Elegant Domain, 30006 Hwy. 249, Tomball 281-255-4612, www.facebook.com/pages/Elegant-Domain/107269965960984, Hours: Mon.–Fri. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–4 p.m., closed Sun.
