When mother-daughter team Laura Goranson and Heather Weber decided to open home décor and gift store G.Home, they didn’t have any retail background— but were confident enough in their skills to go ahead and run with it.
“We have a marketing communications company called G.Moxie which is our day job, and we wanted to get into retail because we felt like it’s hard right now to find a place where you can go and find things that are your style that are within your budget. You want to pick and choose pieces that go with what you want, and not find something of just one genre,” says Weber.
So the two opened G.Home in November 2015 in Elm Grove, where they both live (Goranson moved there within the last year). The two pride themselves on having unique pieces that span a variety of tastes and budgets. The neutral shop showcases a variety of vignettes that customers could imagine being in their own home—like a beautifully-set dining room table or casual lounge area with custom-upholstered chairs and cool statement side table.
Weber and retail specialist Elizabeth Rennicke say that customers also seek out the store for their unique gift items— like their own Gusto Mercantile line they launched in 2017 that has T-shirts, tea towels, onesies, glassware and more. “We were excited to take customer feedback for what they were looking for in gift items and come up with creative local-centric items that they love as well,” says Weber.
Being a part of the area has been key for Weber and Goranson. “We felt like we could be an asset to the community,” says Weber. “And we want people to walk in and feel welcome and also a little bit like they could be in their home.”
G.Home, 1135 Legion Dr., Elm Grove, 262-788-9601