I first heard about the new store within a store, from the friend of a friend touting their “sweetest softest tops and sweaters,” and how their soy candles were “to die for.” I mean, who doesn’t love a soft top or soy candle? Sign me up to find out more!
After a little snooping around on Facebook, I found Chez Toi Design and Boutique and its owner Julietta Harding. An on and off Valley local since 1986, Julietta has been back in the area for about a year now. She decided to move back to the Seattle area when her kids moved to North Bend in the summer of 2018 to be closer to family. She moved back to North Bend when her daughter, Rachel, and her husband, Max, bought Twede’s Café.
Harding attended Bellevue College (then Bellevue Community College), when they had a three-year design program, and was the owner of Courue Design, Inc. from 1998 to January 2008, doing high-end residential and commercial projects. Her first degree was in journalism, and starting in 2008, she spent ten years in Oklahoma working as a journalist, covering crime and politics.
She heard Bellevue College offered a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design. So, she decided to go back to design while completing the extra hours for her BA. Harding has worked on three projects since resuming her career – The Snoqualmie Falls Brewery, Twin Peaks Nutrition and Wellness, and a residential project (the Parson House) via Virtual Design in Santa Rosa, CA. She is an accredited interior designer who works with local clients and clients from around the country.
Sharon Hockenbury opened Twin Peaks Nutrition and Wellness five years ago. The two met when Julietta designed the shop earlier this year before the pandemic hit. The store within a store idea came from Harding’s need for a storefront and their desire to do two businesses in one space and share expenses because of the pandemic. Chez Toi Boutique opened July 1st.
Harding decided to do clothing because she loves fashion. It’s an excellent side business while she goes to school until she begins taking on more clients. She is only working one project at a time right now to allow for her academic pursuits. The clothes are somewhat fashion-forward and very well priced for boutique-style apparel. Her lines include Listicle, Les Amis, POL, Hem and Thread and THML Clothing, to name a few. She makes handmade perfumes and incense also available at the shop, and the soy candles and jewelry.
So, visit Chez Toi and Julietta at 111 West North Bend Way. The shop is open Mon-Friday 12-5 and Saturday 11-4; appointments are required for an interior design consultation or go to cheztoidesign.com to check out the blog, shop, or to book an appointment.
