Like many others, designer Caroline Scheeler found that the pandemic put her busy schedule on pause. “All those years traveling and commuting, I daydreamed about living elsewhere,” she says. “But during that time at home, I stopped fantasizing about New York or Paris and began appreciating where we live.”
This epiphany led Scheeler to open her own boutique, Caroline, in nearby downtown Geneva, Illinois. It’s a mix of antique furnishings and home accessories as well as apothecary goods, chocolates and books. She also plans to host events that involve the community.
“I want my store to be an inspiring destination where people will come to shop but also connect,” she says. “I know it’s a cliche, but I decided I wanted a business that could bring joy to others. Now I’m in the store every day meeting people, working the register. It’s in my bones to be a shopkeeper.”
