Alapash Mercantile

Plants, Planters, and Vintage Home Goods

Why do we love houseplants? If the answer is purely aesthetic (‘because they’re beautiful!’), it wouldn’t explain the desire to bring something wild and unpredictable into our homes. Living beings that change, move, demand attention, and deliver consequences. After all, there are many ways to bring static beauty into a home—art, accessories, furniture, rugs, etc. And yet, despite our appreciation for those things, we sense that it’s the ephemeral that truly brings a space to life. Like laughter and candlelight, plants are what they are in the moment. Tomorrow? You’ll have to wait and see.

In Marco Chavarry’s latest Alapash outpost—third after a successful decade in Chicago and complement to his expansive home store in Three Oaks—the visual artist lets loose with his passion for plants. In part, thanks to a serendipitous canvas for the shop—a 19-century greenhouse at the heart of the historic E.K. Warren Featherbone campus.

Here, among old patina’d windows and painted brick, you’ll find a vast collection of interior plants and planters punctuated by vintage furniture and art, apothecary, and home goods. A living space where things move daily with the light, with a sale, and frequently on Marco’s visionary whim. From a sensory standpoint, it’s eclectic, wild, warm, and welcoming. Never the same place twice.

Local Tip: Plants are a great way to commemorate a getaway! Big or small, the simple act of care keeps memories fresh. Find diverse and artful planters at the Mercantile, Alapash New Home, and Sojourn.

words Collette DiJohn Kemper
images Jamie Kelter Davis