Getting Creative

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October 2022 View more

 By Susan L. Follett

Need a unique gift for a new baby? Hand-crafted barware for a mixologist friend? Sustainable housewares to thank an eco-conscious hostess? You can find a range of options at Stonehouse Market, which offers “a curated collection of items for your home,” according to owner Fran Rouse. Candles to create the perfect scent? Yep. Just the right thing to fill that nook in your den? That too.

The shop, which relocated from Oswego to Wheaton Town Square earlier this year, also features vintage furniture and home decor, along with Fusion Mineral Paints and finishes, including metallics, milk paint, and fresco. Many items are sourced from local businesses.

In addition to its retail offerings, Stonehouse Market holds workshops. The Fusion Mineral Paint 101 class covers the basics of mineral paint and provides hands-on instruction as well as a take-home kit containing all the items needed to start a paint project. The Paint Pour class walks students through the process of creating a paint pour board. Charcuterie classes are led in conjunction with Madonia Kitchen and provide tasting options and wine pairings.

“The paints and the classes we offer in how to use them are a great way to be creative,” Rouse says. (If DIY isn’t your bag, the store also offers custom furniture painting.) “I really enjoy helping people find that right thing that helps them enjoy their homes, as well as working on the staging in the store to make the space warm and inviting,” Rouse says.

The staff prides itself on ensuring that each purchase meets the mark, no matter what that mark might be. “I think we’re all born to be creative, and the products we have here let people explore their creativity in a lot of ways—by purchasing unique items to personalize their homes, for example, or using the paints in new ways,” says staffer Susan Reid. “I really enjoy working with customers to help support that.” 

Rouse, a longtime Wheaton resident, opened Stonehouse Market four years ago and still maintains a small shop in Oswego. “It has been great to see clients from our location come visit our new location, and we’ve met a lot of new people in Wheaton as well,” she says. The store will begin previewing its holiday merchandise in October.   

Photos courtesy of Stonehouse Market