In Business of Home’s series Shop Talk, we chat with owners of home furnishings stores across the country to hear about their hard-won lessons and challenges, big and small. This week, we spoke with Janice Leake of the home decor destination Syers Browning in Lexington, Kentucky.
Syers Browning has such a distinct Southern maximalist aesthetic that you might assume it’s one that Leake has spent decades cultivating. But the Kentucky native only launched her business in 2020, after first working in corporate sales, then spending many years as a stay-at-home mother. Once she had an empty nest, she got a part-time job at Williams-Sonoma and created her own painted furniture line. Now, with her grandkids running around the shop floor, she’s finally realized that her taste was her greatest professional asset all along.
Ahead, Leake talks about the utter joys of that epiphany, why she prefers hiring people over age 30, and how her faith led her here.
Did you always have an interest in design, or an artistic bent?
No. I knew I had taste. I know quality, craftsmanship, luxury. I can take fireworks, a Cracker Jack box and a deck of cards, put it together, and make it look great. I see it as curating spaces that people enjoy, that are their retreats. And I like doing that for others, but I didn’t realize I could [create] a business with that. I enjoy entertaining. I enjoy bringing my family to the table, even if it’s just making a Wednesday night dinner look great with linen napkins and a centerpiece. People would say, “Oh, come do my house!” I thought, You probably won’t like my taste. Well, they did.
When did you realize you wanted your own store?
It’s funny: I always wanted my own store, way back to my college days. My great-aunt had a beautiful clothing store in Santa Monica, and I was being groomed to go there and run that store for her. But she passed away from leukemia unexpectedly. I always say when the time is right, the Lord will make it happen. Well, the Lord made it happen in 2020. I left my position [at Williams-Sonoma] on January 1, 2020, knowing I was going to launch my own place. I knew vendors, product development, marketing, wholesale. I just went forward putting one foot in front of the other, and we launched in June 2020. We started with a card table and four folding chairs in a garage, and we have blossomed over the last six years. [Syers Browning] is an oasis for people now.
You weren’t terrified about launching during Covid?
No. I have great faith in God, and God has driven me here. He takes care of my day for me. And I had done my homework. I had learned this industry so well over the last 20 years, I knew exactly what I was doing—except for the technology, but I knew to reach out to resources to help me with that part of it. I had confidence. It was just time. A lot of people have asked me, “Don’t you wish you had done it earlier?” No, the time wasn’t right. I have no regrets. None. And I was never afraid. I’m still not afraid.
How would you describe your style?
Very polished, very sophisticated. I am a maximalist, but I want it very neat, but collected. I don’t want a cluttered look. I think it goes back to craftsmanship. I like quality. I like a well-dressed woman; it doesn’t have to be expensive clothing, but it has to be well put together. I know myself very well, and I know what I like and what I don’t like. That really helps with the buying and merchandising, because I know how to put everything together once I have those products in my possession.
What are Syers Browning’s building and neighborhood like?
It’s an up-and-coming area of Lexington, kind of a warehouse area [full of former] commercial garages. When I was looking for a space, I knew I needed something I could manage. The garage was perfect for me. We took the metal door out and made it all glass. There’s a beautiful floral smell when you walk in. It’s a very soothing atmosphere. There’s beautiful music. Customers are greeted properly. They’re comforted. We are here to listen if they need to talk about something. I know it sounds silly, but it is retail therapy.
What is your own favorite category?
Tabletop brings people together, and I’m all about being together. I have so many options, so many details, to go onto that table, to bring that comfort and joy.
How have you approached hiring staff?
That was a struggle at first, but you learn from your mistakes. A lot came from word-of-mouth. My biggest search is for people who have experience, who are over 30. They’ve lived life. They know what it’s like to entertain. They know what it’s like for a bride to put together dinnerware and say, “This is the foundation of your family. You’re going to have lots of celebrations with this dinner[ware].” That’s part of the joy of growing older, is the wisdom you can offer to other people. That’s what my staff has.
Tell me about your artist-in-residence, John Morris.
I’ve known him for over 40 years. He’s probably one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life. He makes you want to be a better person. He is well known throughout this state for product development and his artwork. He knows what [customers] like, and it is his heart and soul. I want the best; John is the best in the industry. He’s here a couple of days a week, and we work together and work with the customers.
Do you hold events to get people into the store?
Oh, absolutely. It’s a party. I bring in vendors that I do not [carry], that aren’t a right fit to keep in the store every day, but I enjoy them—like I’ve had a lady painting pumpkins one time, and another time a high-end jewelry line, Clara Williams. We’ll do a big explosion of their products and make it a party, and customers love it.
What are some of your hopes for the future of the business? Is design something you would pursue, or your own line, or more locations?
I want to grow Syers Browning in Lexington, and invest in Lexington more. I think this is a fabulous community. I love Lexington, and I love the customer base here. A Syers Browning line is on the table as well. I do want to grow, [and] I’m here to stay.
What’s your favorite day at work?
A great sales day is always good. But my favorite day in the store is when my grandkids are here. I have three—two girls and a boy–and they are the lights of my life. They come in and play with the dinnerware to have a tea party. They’ve actually waited on the customers, asking, “Now, what are you going to buy?” They’re precious.
