When Coni Marotz was the vice president of the rug division for Madison-based Sergenian’s Floor Coverings, she started doing interior design on the side for friends and clients. She quickly noticed that people kept telling her the same thing: they felt the area was lacking in unique home furnishings stores. They were all either cookie-cutter or big-box stores.
“I had always been a person who liked to find unique, one-of-a-kind things, and had a lot of sources of places I would go. I just thought, ‘I need to have my own store.’ I was also at a point where I’d run businesses for other people, and I never did for myself, and I felt it was time to try,” says Marotz.
In 2008 Marotz opened Iconi Interiors on West Washington Avenue, showcasing new, vintage and reupholstered furnishings she and her husband redid themselves. She also sourced retro barware, jewelry, small décor items, lighting and more antique vendors and other vintage markets. The inviting shop was merchandised like a cool lounge.
In 2014, Marotz signed a lease for another space next door, so her shops were (and still are) conveniently located side by side. The second gorgeously-outfitted space has brand-new custom furnishings (from a Virginia-based company), bespoke lampshades, new and vintage lighting, décor pieces, small gift items and of course, rugs. Marotz’s original shop space shifted focus to consign high-end furniture pieces from customers. She also offers interior design services for clients, too.
“People remark that they’ve never been in a store like this, where it’s a mix and it’s put together in an eclectic manner,” says Marotz. “From the kind of light bulbs we use in the spotlights to the music we play to the diverse amount of furniture and [various] price points—we’re different than most furniture stores. It’s more of an experience here.”
Iconi Interiors, 534 & 540 W. Washington Ave., (608) 441-0077, iconiinteriors.com
