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| By Julie Lawrence OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writer E-mail author | Author bio More articles by Julie Lawrence |
| Published Jan. 12, 2007 at 5:24 a.m. |
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Brady Street's Anomaly Design Shop is many, many things wrapped up into one pretty little package. It's a boutique packed with home décor, accessories and gifts, a place for furniture, a graphic design company, an art studio -- they've even launched their own flower arranging service.
Seriously, you'd be hard pressed to find a creative endeavor that owners Carrie Kudronowicz, Sara Schumacher and Dan Petry couldn't execute, and execute with distinctive style.
The shop, which was beautifully transformed from an auto parts store, has been open at 816 E. Brady St. for just over a month and features an eclectic and fluctuating inventory of life's little extras, some of which are PC -- vegan (read: fake leather) handbags and organic baby products -- and others of which are hilariously inappropriate for grandma -- greeting cards that drop F bombs in the cutest ways.
With two MIAD degrees and a stockpile of D.I.Y. work ethic, the Anomaly trio has harnessed the muses to create a shopping experience that is not only unique but also interactive.
"We've sort of become all-encompassing," says Kudronowicz of their innate ability to look at life as one creative endeavor after the next. Have a wedding in your future? Within the 700-sq. ft. space they'd be able to design the invitations with a modern sense of panache, provide the perfect wedding gift, or even arrange the bouquets of flowers for the tables.
"Arranging is like sculpting, but with flowers, just like sewing is like sculpting, but with fabric," says Schumacher "It all sort of works together. It's all the same thing, just with different mediums."
"One day we got the idea that maybe we should silk-screen, so we taught ourselves how so that we could keep expanding," says Kudronowicz. Now, what they silk-screen out of the basement of the new shop one day can be for sale upstairs the next.
Before the dawn of Anomaly, Kudronowicz and Schumacher were in business together out of their home crafting a successful accessories line called Gaudy Girls. Anomaly sells Gaudy Girls items, as well as lines by other local artists, such as Dan Musha's Acme Ceramic Works and Birdcage jewelry. National lines are all independently hip and off-the-cuff cool -- French Bull, Thomas Paul, Fred, Kenneth Wingard.
What's even better than all the eye candy in the split level shop is that, chances are, you can afford to bring some of it home with you. Technically the price points range anywhere from $5 to $300, but really the only items you're going to find in the triple digits are large, one-of-a-kind furniture pieces. Just about everything else -- jewelry, handbags, arm warmers, ceramics, paper products, dishware, you name it -- is priced with surprising frugality.
"We're thrifty," says Schumacher. "We don't like going into a store and finding something you like but it's just not attainable."
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6 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review. |
Posted by williamG on Feb. 6, 2007 at 6:01 a.m. (report)
"Awesomely" creative selection at anomaly! This shop is just what Brady street needed...keep the "variety", and imagination, coming our way!! Congratulations to all 3 owners, and wishes of future success in 2007.
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Posted by lowrider on Jan. 24, 2007 at 4:50 p.m. (report)
We had the best time at the big grand opening celebration over the weekend! The store is beautiful- very well done! It looks like it belongs in New York! I'm thrilled that I now have a favorite store so close to home, and I know I can just stop in on a whim and have the sales people help me find the perfect gift for any occasion. Very helpful and friendly staff, and amazing atmosphere! You should be very proud of the excitement (and great products) that you've brought to Milwaukee! WE LOVE IT!!!!!
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Posted by herbivore on Jan. 17, 2007 at 2:58 a.m. (report)
Bad service! My husband and I, small business owners ourselves, always check out new stores to support them. We are not rich, but we always make a good purchase to help out good businesses. We went in there on Saturday only to be openly ignored. If we were in a large store, we could understand, but the place is like 200 square feet. A few people walked in ahead of us and the person on staff must have thought that they looked like they were worth more attention than us. Not a hello or anything. Not a good sign for a tiny business with 3 owners. I really hate business that operate like that!
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Posted by Poeartemer on Jan. 13, 2007 at 11:41 a.m. (report)
I like the atmosphere.....and it is unique! Way to go!
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Posted by LegallyBlonde on Jan. 12, 2007 at 1:50 p.m. (report)
I love the handbags! They are so unique, I've never seen anything like them.
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