Bringing style, design options to Central Whidbey

Owners of a new interior design store want their shop to be as warm and welcoming as the Greenbank Farm community they just joined.

Seaside & Sylvan, owned by Mikel and Sam Peabody, opened just a couple of weeks ago with a soft opening. But they’re planning a big grand opening with the hopes of raising funds for a new barn roof at the farm they’ve already grown so fond of.

The Raise the Roof fundraiser will be 12:30-3 p.m., Sunday, March 18, in Barn A. The event will feature live music, refreshments as well as design vignettes set up throughout the barn.

The new store, which is located in Barn C at the farm in the old Rob Schouten Gallery location, features an eclectic mix of home decor and so much more.

Mikel started her career helping her father in the construction business doing remodeling and flipping.

“I’ve always been in design,” she said. “It’s just always been a part of me.”

Her husband, Sam, would agree.

“She does it automatically,” he said.

When the couple moved to Whidbey about four years ago, they got into staging homes. They started collecting furniture and design pieces, eventually growing into a 2,500 square-foot shop at their Monroe Landing home.

They’d been looking to branch out into retail for about two years before finding the farm space.

“It took us so long to find a location,” Mikel said. “At first we tried rezoning our shop with the county, that didn’t work.”

“We were looking for that destination retail location.”

And the farm turned out to be the perfect location that also represented the land and sea their brand represents.

The shop features products produced locally as well as from all over the world. The Peabodys also try to have products for all budgets from linens imported from Anatolia to limited edition light fixtures and couches.

Mikel said she wants her shop to be warm and welcoming.

Beyond what is carried in the store, the Peabodys will have design books on-hand and a design corner set up to help customers.

And while Mikel is the designer, the business is very much a family endeavor.

Sam, who likes to consider himself in charge of logistics, also provides the muscle and construction for their newest business venture.

The store has a house brand, “Mussel & Hemlock,” which already includes simple and elegant brass napkin holders as well as copper throw and rug ladders.

Mikel likes to find pieces with character as well as items made from repurposed and reclaimed materials.

“We like versatility,” she said.

Visiting Seaside & Sylvan any given week could prove to be a completely different experience each time.

The couple is using their home shop for additional storage space and plan to constantly be changing things up. Items will change from season to season as well.

“I’m basically your personal shopper,” Mikel said, “and I curated all of this.”

“I hope people will pop in here once a month because it will always be changing.”

And you’ll have to go to the store to see what they have, as the shop will never make items available online.

The couple also have goals to grow their business in the near future, hoping to open a flagship showroom in Langley.

“I love what I do (and) I love that we’re a family business,” Mikel said. “I believe in what we’re bringing to the island.”

Bringing style, design options to Central Whidbey
Bringing style, design options to Central Whidbey
Bringing style, design options to Central Whidbey
Bringing style, design options to Central Whidbey
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