A Treasure Hunt Without a Map

They say it takes a village. In this case, the better question may be: Where does The Village take you? And just as importantly, when?

The “where” is simple enough. The Village sits near the south end of Carolina Beach Road, tucked into a wooded pocket just far enough from the traffic and bustle that visitors may briefly forget where they are.

The “when” is harder to pin down. Step inside this one-of-a-kind, multi-vendor marketplace, and you may find yourself wandering through a coastal cottage, a Victorian parlor, a working frontier outpost or the glow of a mid-century disco.

Your guides through this retail wonderland of coastal decor, art, crafts, antiques, collectibles, mid-century finds and more are co-owners Flora Hudson and Karen Werner. Though they came from opposite sides of the country and followed winding paths through careers in finance and investment, they share a passion for collecting, creating and connecting.

Flora came first, beginning as a vendor selling reclaimed furniture at what was then called Recollections Vintage Village — a cluster of weathered buildings with a loyal local following. She quickly fell in love with the place and the generations of customers who had been visiting through its many incarnations. One archaeological dig even turned up clay shards, suggesting a pottery business may once have thrived there. The property is also rumored to have housed livestock. 

When COVID threatened to shutter the marketplace, Flora was offered the chance to buy it. She remembers thinking it was “a diamond in the rough.” Besides, she says, “I’m creative and need to be surrounded by people.”

Four years later, the renamed Village has expanded to 12 vendors in the market area, plus its main building. Karen entered the story as a vendor selling mostly coastal home decor. Flora remembers being drawn to her “attitude and energy” and asked if she might help with the decor in the main room.

That first collaboration grew into a friendship and, eventually, a business partnership. Karen, who had grown tired of office work, was also looking for a way to break free creatively. What began as an experiment to “see if we worked well together” became a shared vision for what The Village could be.

Helping bring that vision to life is Justin Painton, “our very own MacGyver,” who has built many of the brightly colored little cottages that house the vendors. Justin is also the resident squirrel guardian, as The Village is a sanctuary for the indigenous little creatures. Customers are invited to pick up a hazelnut upon arrival and feed the friendly little fuzzballs. And soon, The Village will welcome its newest vendor, Aaron, and his Squirrels Just Wanna Have Fun shop. Guess what he’ll be selling?

When my wife and I first visited The Village, we fell in love with the vibe. It was, and remains, cozy, quirky, outdoorsy and inviting — the kind of place where you might find almost anything for your home, regardless of your decor style. It is a veritable treasure hunt without a map: always changing, always inviting.

Unlike many antique malls or collectibles shops, Flora and Karen say, The Village’s vendors come and go as they please, continually restocking their spaces. That constant refresh is part of the appeal. Many regulars, they say, stop by two or three times a week because “they don’t want to miss anything.”

The Vendors

Over the centuries, the word “village” has evolved through many languages, but most definitions arrive at the same idea: a small, organized community of people living and working together. That is exactly the feeling I got on a cool, crisp April evening when I was invited — or, more accurately, invited myself — to The Village’s annual vendor meeting.

Visitors to antique and collectibles shops rarely get to meet the people behind the booths, except perhaps when someone is restocking or rearranging a display. Most of the time, we wander through aisles of carefully arranged but unpeopled spaces. That night, however, I walked into a buzzing hive of fast-paced conversations, high energy and laughter. Lots of laughter.

Flora and Karen say they bring the vendors together “to chat, to gripe, to offer suggestions, and share their plans and visions.”

Many of the vendors, largely women, are retirees from family or professional life who have returned to passions they once had to set aside. As Flora and Karen put it, “They are looking for something that’s theirs,” something that comes with pride of ownership. Their goal, they say, is to create “a well-rounded space for local artists and vendors.”

That pride was on full display as vendors lined up to tell me about the antiques, collectibles, home decor and objets d’art that make The Village feel so personal.

Tami Lee remembers visiting an earlier version of The Village with her daughter, who excitedly told her, “Mom, you should have a shop here!” Thirteen years later, that dream came true. Today, at A Touch of Color, Lee hand-paints everything from reclaimed canvas to wine glasses.

For Angie Shy of The Shy Girl’s Shop, The Village was “the first place I came to because it was so close to my house.” In her colorful cottage, she sells “everything vintage,” from kitchenware and vinyl records to books. “We just might have that thing you’re looking for,” she says.

Jill of The Kureous Hippie has been at The Village for four years. After previously starting a Montessori school, she found herself craving creative connection. “I just wanted to be around and connect with other creative women,” she says. Her shop offers “all kinds of hippie stuff,” and she promises her pet macaw may soon make an appearance.

Judi, one of The Village’s self-proclaimed newbies, owns Port City Cloth, where she sells art made from reclaimed painter’s drop cloths and other fabrics. She says she loves the community feel of being “surrounded by my own village people.”

Marvel of Marvel’s Hive first came to The Village with her mother. After her mother’s passing, she returned while searching for a pitcher with her name on it. She found the pitcher — and, in the process, a place to upcycle scrap leather into bags and slings. “This was meant to be,” she says.

Meredith is proud of being quirky, which almost seems like the ticket of entry into this special world. In her Design for Living shop, she refinishes old and new furniture in bright, paint-washed pastel colors. The shop is now celebrating its third anniversary after beginning in a small shed.

Iris, another newcomer, owns The Village Roost, where her love of birds, chickens and beach things fills a colorful menagerie that, in her words, “honors my mother who passed a few years back.” She loves being “surrounded by an eclectic group of people from all walks.”

Jessica, of Cedar and Silk, brings a bi-coastal eye to her mostly thrifted furniture, decor and clothing, sourcing pieces from New York and California. Having traveled widely, she says she feels welcomed at The Village, where “I’ve learned a lot from these women.” She adds, fittingly, “I love quirky.”

Karen Brown began her time at The Village by helping run the shop and keeping the books. She now owns Sea Castle Creations, where her passion for the beach shows up in one-of-a-kind resin, crushed glass, seashell and metal creations.

And then there is Deborah, who runs the front of the shop, handles purchases, manages vendors and welcomes visitors with a smile, quick wit and a fascinating life story rooted in collecting. At Mingos, she boasts of selling “everything and more.”

No visit to The Village would be complete without a stop at Trissie’s Something Cool, where visitors can set a spell and enjoy a scoop of ice cream, a cup of tea, coffee — her number one seller — or an assortment of snacks.

Flora and Karen hope to continue expanding The Village without sacrificing its small-town feel. “We are two women with a shared vision and the energy to make it happen,” they say. They are encouraged by the number of younger shoppers stopping in, especially those drawn to sustainability, and they would like to add more vendors with items that appeal to male shoppers as well.

They are also planning to offer classes to the public, with possibilities ranging from watercolor to potting to furniture painting.

On the last Saturday of every month, The Village stays open until 8 p.m. What began as a monthly vendor appreciation event has become something closer to a party, complete with refreshments, music and extended shopping hours. “We wanted to give vendors one last chance to boost sales before closing the books for the month,” Flora and Karen say.

That, perhaps, is The Village at its best: a little commerce, a lot of creativity and an open invitation to linger.