When it comes to selecting merchandise for his boutique in downtown Glen Ellyn, Michael Perich has one rule.

“If I do not love it in its entirety, it’s not here,” said Perich, owner of The Gnome Colony, a fanciful shoppe for baubles, bangles and beauty products he calls “a sanctuary for the spirit.”

Perich describes his carefully curated, deliberately staged emporium as “a store full of love, whimsy and wishes.”

A jolly, giant gnome stands at the entrance to the store, which is organized as a series of labyrinthine nooks containing antique armoires, credenzas, bookshelves and sideboards displaying the things that bring Perich happiness. Among them are sparkling baubles — bracelets, pendants, earrings, pins and rings; headbands and hair clips; star-catchers; and intricate ceramic masks. There are gnome, faerie and Buddha figurines; colorful scarves and cozy knitwear; ceramic jewelry boxes, incense holders, note cards and tea towels embroidered with sly sayings.

Miniature hot air balloons hang from the ceiling. A harlequin perches atop a carousel horse. Vibrant doodads cover the walls and silk flowers accent the displays. Scattered throughout the store are crowns of various sizes, a nod to the logo for Perich Skin Care and Makeup, the owner’s fragrance and cruelty-free cosmetics line available at the Gnome Colony and at 200 boutiques around the country.

“This is an example of what happens when you nurture imagination and feed your inner child,” explained Perich, who opened the store at 485 N. Main St. on Valentine’s Day, 2018, after working 30 years in the beauty business.

Regulars say the Perich’s emporium lives up to its catchphrase.

“It’s such a happy, special place,” said Lisa Bangora. “It puts me in a great mood … How could it not?”

The Streamwood resident first visited Gnome Colony four years ago after a store she frequented stopped selling Perich’s fragrances. She discovered the store and has been a faithful customer ever since, stopping by monthly, usually with her mother, Pat.

“Nothing like this exists,” says Perich of his store, which attracts about 500 customers per month, most of them women in search of cosmetics and curios.

Raised with three older sisters by a single mom, Perich says making women feel safe and cared for are his top priorities. To that end, he personally greets every customer who steps into the store.

“Doing what I do is like oxygen for my soul,” says the entrepreneur who doesn’t consider what he does work. He calls it “hanging out with my girlfriends.”

Deborah Sievers of Aurora is a recent addition to that friend circle. She and one of her friends discovered the boutique two weeks ago.

“We came in and it was like being in ‘Alice in Wonderland,’” she said.

Her friend was going through some emotional upheaval and Perich and The Gnome Colony provided much-needed distraction.

“He put a smile on my friend’s face. I couldn’t do that,” Sievers said.

One her first visit, Perich gifted her a butterfly ring. When she and her friend returned a second time to purchase beauty products, he provided them an impromptu tutorial.

Another Sievers’ friend, Beth Tomas of Wheaton, a small business supporter who stopped by for the first time last week in search of unique earrings.

“I have aspirations of being the Imelda Marcos of earrings,” joked Tomas referring to the late Philippines leader known for her corruption and massive shoe collection.

“It’s like I’m walking into an enchanted forest,” said Tomas.

Like Bangora said, The Gnome Colony is a special place.

“If you’re having a bad day, come here and your spirits will be uplifted just by walking through the door,” she said.

Perich’s cosmetics are available online atmichaelperich.com.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20251101/business/a-glen-ellyn-wonderland-main-street-boutique-delivers-love-whimsy-and-wishes/