Holiday tribute to Merkel's: A Beautiful Mess shares a nostalgic past

PLATTSBURGH | Downtown windows dressed to inspire holiday cheer give local businesses a way to share season's greetings. The gift shop filled with very pretty things at 74 Margaret Street, paid tribute to Merkel's, the department store that once occupied the same wooden floors. At A Beautiful Mess, owner Carolyn Tetreault said she and daughter Nicolette Terry chose to put history in the front window. And it's there, in four handwritten panels that tell the store's story, connecting the location to Isaac Merkel and generations of Merkel family owners who came after. The idea sprung from a conversation Carolyn had with David Merkel a few weeks ago. "We were just talking about a friend's mom who worked here and how much she loved it," Carolyn said. "I had just painted the walls, and he told me that it is almost the same color as what the store used to be." David and Darlene Merkel live in Plattsburgh and were the last in the family to run the store. "He had given me some Merkel's bags, so I began to decorate with those," Carolyn said. The bags are stuffed and line a top shelf above the artisan candles, scents, crafts, decor and beauty products curated at A Beautiful Mess. The return of Merkel's decor to a downtown fixture grew to include vintage fashion catalogues, Merkel's clothing tags and items with them sewn into the collar. A historic photo of the building shows rows of wreaths in the upper-floor windows. Carolyn asked the Clinton County Historical Association for a turn-of-the-century photo of their place on Margaret Street. And she made it into a large canvas print that holds a corner of the window display. Merkel's opened in 1910. "It's just before 1910," she pointed to a row of vintage brick shops in the photo, 74 Margaret St. was then called The Star. "And look, there's a trolley," Carolyn marveled. Nicolette's design brings a flair of fabric and fashion and hand-painted messages to the holiday tribute. The inviting atmosphere comes from inside out to the front windows. "I added the nutcracker, that was a fixture in Merkel's window," Carolyn said. In the deco-tiled front entry, they placed an open book for people to add their own memories of Merkel's, the "Store of Cheerful Service." There, in front of windows warmed by a lit fireplace hung with stockings, people have stopped to share. "September 1989," one person wrote. "I purchased a sapphire blue and black velvet taffeta dress for my first homecoming dance at Seton Catholic Central. I attended the dance with my new boyfriend, we had a wonderful night. He's now my husband, we've been together ever since." People do stop at A Beautiful Mess and share their stories as they shop, Carolyn said. "Sometimes they may have worked here or a parent worked here and they remember shopping here. I actually bought my wedding dress here off the clearance rack. Once I had kids, they loved to pick out the new Effanbee Dolls." Effanbee Dolls were also established in 1910, and by one of the oldest dollmakers in America, Fleischaker & Baum. They've become collectibles. "They still have them," Carolyn said. Running a small, local business is something Carolyn and Nicolette treasure. Nicolette has her own company, Vingette and Vogue, in the high ceilinged rooms behind the decor and beauty store. Her artistry comes to life in portraits, hand lettering and design, and in her hair and makeup studio, a nostalgic room perfect for photographs. The pressed metal ceilings recall an entire era of downtown mercantile. Carolyn said the shop's name, A Beautiful Mess, was Nicolette's impression of the distinctive collections they bring together on the shelves. "We're a beautiful mess," Carolyn laughed. They choose carefully and have done since 2013. The Farmhouse Fresh line of beauty products have been part of their collection since day one, Carolyn said. There's so much to explore, arrayed under Nicolette's artistic messages: Tokyo Milk products and fragrances; F.F. Candle Co. handmade candles; Beekman 1802 Beauty Care; handmade jewelry, baby clothes, decor, cards and hair accessories. Leather-bound blank journals provide open pages to fill. Each cover has a message. For the holidays, A Beautiful Mess places items purchased in bags stamped with vintage Merkel's artwork, a tribute to a downtown Plattsburgh legacy. The local store full of cheerful things is located at 74 Margaret Street. To reach Nicolette via email: vignetteandvogue@gmail.com

Signup for our newsletter

Holiday tribute to Merkel's: A Beautiful Mess shares a nostalgic past

COMPANY

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

SUBMISSION FORMS

BEYOND THE NEWS