Frankly Retro-politan
Frank and Margaret mixes retro with hipster.
Sarah Jane Leming
Jarrett Medlin
(10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday)
ATMOSPHERE: Step inside the retro chic store near Aspen Boutique and Caffe Posto, and you’ll find far more than furniture. Frank and Margaret, a gift and home décor boutique that opened last November at the intersection of Douglas and Oliver, has an array of reupholstered furniture, stylish housewares and other hip offerings. Bright colors and a sleek interior add an upbeat ambiance to Frank & Margaret. The store also doubles as an art venue by participating in Final Friday gallery crawls and displaying work from local artists.
KEY PEOPLE: Owner Emily Christensen moved with her parents from Florida to Wichita in 1998 and intended to stay here for just one summer. When her parents returned to Florida, however, Emily decided to stay. Ten years later, she has no intention of leaving.
Christensen studied literature, anthropology and communications at Wichita State University. But it was retail experience at Hatman Jack’s and other Wichita outlets that prepared the 29-year-old to open her own store, named after her grandparents. “I felt there was a place in Wichita for a home furnishing store that’s a little more design conscious,” she says.
Today, Christensen travels to markets in New York, Dallas and elsewhere to find notable wares. “Sometimes there’s a fine line between ugly and cool,” she says. “It’s like treasure hunting.” She also studies magazines like Elle Decor, Metropolitan Home and Dwell to stay on top of new trends.
WHAT YOU’LL FIND: Christensen selects all of the items in the store. The shop offers hand-dyed textiles, refurbished antiques, as well as contemporary and mid-century items. Large items like reupholstered antique furniture, Lanza lounge chairs ($650) and Majestic silver mirrors with tiled glass ($249) catch the eye right away, but smaller gift items keep customers perusing.
Frank and Margaret sells homeware like Utopia bud vases from Top Design’s Jonathan Adler, Magppie stainless steel relish bowls ($56-$84) and bold-colored silicone place mats ($16). There is also vintage dinnerware and hand-blown glass and barware items.
Peel back the cover of an Artecnica coffee table book, and find a pop-up lamp to light your living room ($95). Other out-of-the-box gifts include restickable vinyl trees that look like murals ($60) and paint-by-number clocks ($84). Environmentally friendly products include reusable shopping bags ($8.50) that roll up to fit in your purse and Kikar vases ($45-$76) made from Indian desert hardwood.
Frank & Margaret also offers its own home library, with more than 100 design books that customers can check out. “I want the store to be not just a place to buy stuff, but also a resource,” says Christensen. She plans to hold classes on Sunday to teach customers how to create everything from flower arrangements to mixed drinks.
The shop also partners with Wichita Upholstery to offer upholstery services—even making house calls.
WICHITA VERDICT: Take your time while shopping at Frank & Margaret. With stylish homeware that’s ideal for a housewarming or a redesign, the store offers a selection that’s as contemporary as it is classic.
