Ten years ago in a little shop outside of Philadelphia, Debbie Neimeth opened Happy Go Lucky Home. The eclectic store offered a variety of unique home décor items that could not be found anywhere else. In 2011, Neimeth moved her store to the Short North. Three years later, she added Happy Go Lucky Her to her shop, expanding her style for the fresh and eclectic to women’s apparel and accessories.
When originally looking for a location for Happy Go Lucky Her, Neimeth found a space for rent across High Street from where her “Home” store was located. The space was one-half of a former industrial building, the other half being rented to another clothing boutique. Two days before “Her” opened, Neimeth received a phone call from the landlord letting her know the other tenant had backed out and she could rent both sides. She immediately accepted and began the process of renovating the space for the purpose of side-by-side stores. The landlord opened the two spaces to each other through an archway, uncovered original wood floors under the previous tenant’s tile, and removed the dropped ceilings to show ornate beams and designs on the original antique ceiling.
The unique layout of the building allows plenty of space for Neimeth to carry a wide variety of items on both the “Home” and the “Her” side of the business. Neimeth, along with her managers, travel to various shows across the country to gather items and articles of clothing.
Happy Go Lucky Her carries lines from unique vendors, such as Simpli and Comfy, in sizes from extra small to extra large. Neimeth recognizes that no two bodies are made the same and articles will fit differently on different people, and is happy to offer customers articles that will fit every body shape and size.
Neimeth’s passion for “treasure hunting” is apparent in Happy Go Lucky Home. She travels to different showrooms around the country and searches for items other people might have overlooked. She carries everything from hard-to-find lightbulbs to pillows with skeletons on them to unique candles to custom-upholstered furniture. Each item Neimeth selects for her store with the customer in mind – she wants them to reap the benefits of her treasure hunting.
When asked about plans for future expansion, Neimeth said she can see her concept working in other up-and-coming trendy cities like Austin and Boston.
“I have no definite plans for expansion,” she said. “But, you never know what’s in the future.”
For more information, visit www.shophappygolucky.com.
All photos by Randi Walle.
