Sunny Jung's new downtown Barrie shop Everleigh Garden is filled with her favourite things.
The owner of the Dunlop St. East store always dreamed of having the chance to share her style and creativity with others.
"It's a boutique gift store. It's something that I always loved so you can probably see my personality coming through all the products. I love colours as you can see. I love art. I make cards. I'm crafty."
There are salmon pink walls and Jung created the colourful store cashier counter top with stencils and wood dye.
Everleigh Garden is an explosion of colour with pepper mills in every shade, colourful, hand-made chandeliers and glass lamps from Turkey along with countless items from all over the world including Japan and the Netherlands.
Jung also sells pottery from Korea from two of her favourite potters
"I thought if I ever have a shop I want it to have something different. Some people might come in and they might not like because it's not all high end but I have a little bit of everything. All the stuff that I really enjoy. Price wise, they are reasonably priced."
Originally from Korea, Jung moved to Winnipeg in her early twenties, lived there for more than a decade and started a family.
Just over five years ago, Jung, her husband and two daughters moved to Newmarket and last summer they settled in Barrie.
"We're not looking back. We love it here. My husband's sister lives in Oro-Medonte and we always drove by here and thought how nice," she said.
Her mother-in-law Marie, who also moved to Barrie from Winnipeg, works at the shop and quilts some of the beautiful throws that are displayed for sale.
The new businessperson Jung has just about something for everyone including cufflinks, baby decor and hand-knit outfits and gorgeous umbrellas that reveal a pattern when they get wet.
And she deliberately wants to attract young customers.
"I have two daughters, 12 and 14, and I really want her friends to come and buy some small things. Some of the things, instead of taking a lot of mark-up, I want them to come and spend so under $5. I always struggle to find gifts under $40 so a lot of stuff you'll see is under $40."
Jung says Barrie has everything to offer, including the waterfront that her girls really enjoy.
She says Barrie is a big town but still has a very small town feel and she finds people to be very friendly
Her store opened just two weeks ago and Jung realizes there are other gift shops on Dunlop St.
But she's very comfortable in her own place, her first retail venture.
"Mine's different," she said of Everleigh Garden.
"I knew exactly what I wanted to have in my store. Every store is a little different and that makes the store unique and interesting. For me, this is who I am. These are things that I enjoy. I did this hoping that some people will really appreciate it."
Everleigh Garden is located at 104 Dunlop Street East.
