Today we’d like to introduce you to Mia Parris
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I lived with my family in the SF Bay Area of California. We wanted an escape property. We settled on a historic home on 40 acres in Newnan called The Grove. I fell in the love with the town, the people, and the aesthetic of the small Southern city. I was doing interior residential interior design in CA. I always wanted a retail store, but was nervous to take that on where rents are so high. I found myself going through a divorce and decided to move to Newnan full time. I opened my dream shop in the historic square and named it The Grove after the home that brought me here. The Grove will be offered as an AirBNB experience in late 2025 or early 2026.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My divorce was sudden and shocking. I was blindsided at the same time as I was becoming an empty nester after being a stay-at-home mother for 20 years. My life was totally upended. I had to decide where I was going to go since we had sold our home in CA and were leasing it back until our youngest child graduated from high school. I was shocked and frightened about everything, but the one thing I knew what that I needed a purpose so I vowed to open the store I had dreamed about. I found rental space, designed my logo, curated my shop and here I am living my dream.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I have a small upscale home furnishings and accessories store. I specialize in unique, hard to find items that are primarily transitional style that will make a statement in a home. I in the middle of the historic square in Newnan, GA. It’s a vibrant business area with shops, firms and restaurants. I feel very fortunate to have found my space here. I am very proud of the unique items I find. I think a space isn’t truly complete and comfortable until it’s curated with items that speak to the occupant of the space. Accessories are the jewelry of the home and no room is complete without them. I am passionate about home and creating spaces that are inviting and comfortable. I offer complimentary design consultation. I will help my customers achieve that in their own homes, first by redeploying their existing items to the best possible location and then augmenting with specially selected new items.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
There are lovely historic homes in this area (in fact Newnan is called “The City of Homes”) and people have always placed an emphasis on lovely decor and a gracious lifestyle. I don’t see this changing, particularly in the South where that aesthetic is so classic and enduring.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @thegrovenewnan
