The Uptown Shop celebrates 10 years in Elmhurst

ELMHURST – Kathleen DiGuadio had lived in Elmhurst for the better part of two decades when she decided she knew just what the community needed.

“At the time, I had noticed that it was really hard for moms who had kids in school, particularly kindergartners, to get their shopping done for gifts or other things in a short amount of time,” DiGuadio said.

She saw The Uptown Shop as the solution. Ten years after opening, the gift store is celebrating its success by making over its interior and adding new inventory.

“I only carry things that I would buy myself,” DiGuadio said.

The store recently hosted Trollbeads designer Tomas Cenius from Denmark as part of its anniversary celebration. In 2005, The Uptown Shop began carrying the artist-designed beads that can be added to bracelets or necklaces to create custom jewelry.

“There’s an artist with a name and face behind each bead,” said DiGuadio, adding the company was the first to create a bead-on-bracelet collection.

DiGuadio said through selling Trollbeads, she’s earned regular customers who come from as far as 30 miles away to buy sentimental beads to celebrate the big moments in their lives.

“I feel like they’re my friends, and my staff is my family,” DiGuadio said.

Since she opened The Uptown Shop 10 years ago, she’s continued to update the items she carries to meet the needs of her customers. Initially, DiGuadio carried a lot of antique pieces, an interest of her own. As she’s seen customers’ tastes change, she’s added a toy section and Amy Howard one-step paint to her inventory.

“We’re going to get more into the DIY because that’s fun,” DiGuadio said about “do-it-yourself” merchandise.

She plans to host workshops for customers interested in using the Amy Howard paint to affordably revive old pieces of furniture. In addition to saving her customers’ money, restoring furniture cuts down on the millions of pieces that are thrown in the garbage each year across the country, DiGuadio said.

In 2007, she decided to open another location in Western Springs because like Elmhurst, the town – she thought – could benefit from a unique shop like hers.

“Like Elmhurst, it’s a small town. People love their local community,” DiGuadio said.

Mothers or others on a tight schedule who don’t have time to drive to Oakbrook Center or other large shopping malls were DiGuadio’s inspiration. She’s found people have really come to expect a lot of The Uptown Shop.

“They’ll be on their way to a party…and they’ll take the risk of coming in here on the way to the party because they do know that they’ll find something nice,” DiGuadio said.

In addition to Trollbeads, DiGuadio carries other designer collections like Vera Bradley, Vineyard Vines, Lilly Pulitzer and Pine Cone Hill, among many others. DiGuadio said she chooses her inventory with practicality, quality and fun in mind.

“At Christmastime, people come for our glass ornaments,” she said, explaining the store carries thousands of ornaments during the holiday season.

While she continues to change her inventory and shop to meet the needs of her customers, she said the reason she opened her Elmhurst store hasn’t changed over the past decade.

“I always thought that Elmhurst had a real hometown feel...You see the same people over and over again and I love that because it really is a community,” DiGuadio said.

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If you go

What: Art at Night
Where: The Uptown Shop, 111 E. First St., Elmhurst
When: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday
Info: uptownshop.com or 630-832-9200