BY SOPHIE GORMAN ORIANI
Nest Proper, a woman-owned lifestyle store, is the latest business to open along Route 1. Erica Riggio and Angela Justice, co-founders and co-owners of Green Owl Design, are the forces behind this new boutique.
Courtesy of Mary Pat Collins Photography
Riggio and Justice opened Green Owl Design in Hyattsville in 2014. While Green Owl Design provides complete interior design services, Nest Proper is focused on helping people make small changes to their homes. According to a press release, the boutique sells items for “elevating life’s everyday experiences.”
Nest Proper’s small size and simple layout give it a calm, warm feel. The walls are a deep, rich green, with wood accents throughout. Customers are greeted warmly, and allowed to browse at their leisure. The shop feels filled but not overfull, and scented candles provide a pleasant aroma.
The boutique’s upscale home goods and wearables range from Christmas tree ornaments and books, to wool scarves and jeans, to silk robes and jewelry. Artwork, kitchen tools, bath and body products are among items neatly arranged on the display shelves. In one corner, there is a baby onesie with a picture of a vaccine needle that reads “Hit me with your best shots.” A floor-length plum-colored gown hangs on one wall.
In an interview with the Hyattsville Life & Times, Riggio and Justice explained how they carefully curate the items in the shop to help make good design more accessible. The items they have chosen to bring into the store are intended for a variety of price points to fit a wide range of budgets; many items are less than $10.
Most of Nest Proper’s merchandise is from domestic small businesses, and Riggio said that about a third is locally made, particularly the artwork and jewelry. Riggio and Justice are actively working to include goods from local artists and makers, and would be happy to see this percentage rise. Some of the items for sale have a local flavor to them, such as artistic versions of area maps and Hyattsville-themed postcards and mugs.
Nest Proper also hosts events, like evening sip-and-shops, game nights and a cookie-decorating workshop for children.
Nest Proper, located at 5303 Baltimore Avenue, Ste. 102, is open for holiday shopping from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. Shop online at nestproper.com (not all items are available online) or visit nestproper.com for a list of holiday events.
