Red Deer Digest » Red Deer gifts

Sunworks Home & Garden – Downtown Red Deer – Renovations Update

Tim Ebl — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:33:31 +0000

If you read our previous article about this unique shop (click here to read the first article on Sunworks Home and Garden), here is a little update on renovations underway at the store.

The upstairs is now mostly complete, extending the store by a huge amount. This gives them even more room to display items for your home and garden. A bookshop is also being added to Sunworks. This highly anticipated new bookstore is sure to be one of my favorite stops in Red Deer, and it will be located in a separate room in the back.

If you are looking for a Mother’s day gift, this is a great place to go. Can’t make up your mind what to pick out for Mom? Gift cards are available! Garden decorations of all sorts adorn the store, such as the gargoyles pictured here.

Also at the back of the store is the Harris – Warke Gallery. Now on display is the artwork of Susan Barker. This Red Deer resident has some excellent renditions of various oilfield scenes from the ’80s and on. For unique artwork of Central Alberta oilfield art, stop by and take in the display in the gallery.

Sunworks Home & Garden Inc.

4924 Ross Street

Red Deer, Alberta, Canada

T4N 1X7

ph (403)341-3455

Fax (403)341-5754

Look here for more information on Red Deer shops and stores!

Great Gifts for the Home At Housewarmings | Where Style Meets Desire in Downtown Red Deer

Ernie Wiegand — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 04:50:27 +0000

In the summer of 2002, Diane, Catherine and Leslie identified the need for a viable store in Red Deer where local artists could display and sell their artwork. With Catherine having just come from a managerial position in a corporate business and Leslie and Diane seeking to upgrade an already existing store, they came together with this goal in mind.

After choosing a location for the store, in the heart of downtown among unique specialty shops and local flair, they

began construction. They knew the concept would fit right into the downtown philosophy and before the store was complete, began showing their upcoming merchandise at the Red Deer Farmer’s Market to create a buzz.

In August 2002 housewarmings’ doors were opened, with 10 artists showcasing their work. The partners began setting up at Trade Shows as well as the Downtown Business After Hours Christmas show, while still continuing at the Farmer’s Market, and by 2003 they knew they were on the right track as the artist base had grown to 75!

The style of housewarmings, including the logo, has changed throughout the years. The style has grown and surpassed even the expectations of the partners. From country to contemporary, to classical and Asian, the flair is ever-changing and evolving. It can be attributed to the ability of the owner’s to listen to customers, and their willingness to adapt to changing styles, customer requests and suggestions.

“We feel that the warm, friendly atmosphere is enhanced by our (customer-described!) fun and ‘quirky’ personalities. People never know what to expect when they walk through the door, and that’s the way we like it!”

In February of 2007 Catherine, Leslie and Diane endured a gruelling 22 hour flight to Thailand on their first ever overseas buying trip! The trip seemed charmed right from the start, and they hooked up with a wonderful man in the Northern Thai city of ChiangMai who was to become the store’s broker. With visits to street markets, factories and through meetings with owners and workers alike, in a whirlwind buying tour of the city, they made some awesome choices, and the excitement was palpable when the 17 crates arrived on Ross Street.

With housewarmings’ five year anniversary just passed, and the excitement of the first overseas buying trip still fresh in their minds, who knows what changes 2008 will bring?

“We say: ‘Bring it on!’.”

Owners: Diane Hermary, Catherine Robb, Leslie Marchant.

Housewarmings website
Address: 4916 Ross Street, RD T4N 1X7
Phone: 403-309-0663
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10am-5:30pm

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Look For Sunworks Home & Garden in Downtown Red Deer

Tim Ebl — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 02:50:22 +0000

This awesome little shop has been open since 1987 on Ross Street in Downtown Red Deer. Since I first walked in the doors I felt that it was a truly unique collection of kitchen wares, home and garden decor, and more. If you are looking for a unique gift, decorative items for your home or for your garden, or a really good read that you won’t find elsewhere, then this is the place for you. Friendly staff and a wide selection of interesting items to peruse make it a joy to just look around.

The atmosphere in this store is amazing. Once you’ve visited, you’ll want to come back. There is quite the selection of books and greeting cards to browse through. Numerous kitchen tools and cookware items are artfully displayed that beg to go home with you. Owners Paul Harris and Terry Warke have done a great job on the layout and choice of the merchandise, with the help of their ‘Sunworkers’.

My favorite part of the store is the selection of over a hundred hot sauces, which occupy their own little room in the back corner. I’m not daring enough to try the hottest of these; I have only sampled a few so far. There are some chili mixes, barbeque sauces and other seasonings in this section as well as a few cookbooks. I’m sure I’m not the only amateur chef that has stood in that little room examining the goods! You can really spice up your cooking with some specialty hot sauce.

Sunworks is a member of 1% For The Planet. Along with an international alliance of companies, they donate one per cent of their revenues to environmental initiatives. For Sunworks, this means that 1% of yearly revenue is donated to the Red Deer and District Community Foundation’s Environmental Legacy Fund. Sunworks Home and Garden has taken part in this green initiative since 2006, yet another reason to support this excellent shop.

If you are in downtown Red Deer, take the time to check out this special store. It is on the north side of Ross Street, and parking is available in front as well as in a lot one street south. Stop in and say hi to Paul or Terry from Tim & Ernie at Red Deer Digest.