How Faye Milstead’s dream boutique is thriving during a pandemic and ready to help you this holiday season!

2020 has been a difficult year for everyone and has hit local businesses hard. As communities and business owners try to adapt, it’s been incredible to see the stories come out of this pandemic. A Different Niche! had its grand opening on March 18th, only for Faye’s business to be shut down due to local Covid-19 orders on March 27th. She wasn’t allowed to open her doors again until April 21st, but even a pandemic can’t keep Faye Milstead’s dream from happening. With hard work, perseverance, and exceptional customer service, A Different Niche! is succeeding and ready to help customers any way they can. 

When asked how A Different Niche! has prospered during this time, Faye said, “Even during the pandemic the community has been so supportive of A Different Niche! I’m very thankful for them, and I want to let my customers know we will all get through this together. I’m so very thankful for how this community has helped local businesses.” 

However, there is even more to the story.

Understanding the history behind A Different Niche!

Ken and Faye Milstead owned and managed Milstead Glass in Magnolia for over 30 years. In 2012, Milstead Glass expanded to include Milstead Home Décor, Faye’s passion project. For the last eight years, her home décor boutique has grown in popularity. 

When Ken and Faye decided to sell Milstead Glass in 2019, Faye had no intention of slowing down. Instead, it was time for her dream to take on a life of its own. Her previous 1,500 square foot boutique in Milstead Glass has blossomed into a beautiful, new 4,000 square foot showroom located at 2114 McCaleb Rd., Montgomery. Faye’s enthusiasm and zest for home décor has continued to intensify and now she has the right location, product lines, and time to allow her passion to flourish. The home décor boutique is a reflection of Faye. “I didn’t want to retire. That’s just not for me. I was ready to start living my dream full-time,” she says. 

Shopping at A Different Niche!

A Different Niche! is unlike other stores like  Kirkland’s or Hobby Lobby. You won’t have to choose from cookie-cutter styles, and you get customer service that can’t be beaten. From the moment you walk in the store, you’ll be face-to-face with the owner who wants to serve you! This may seem challenging, but as Faye puts it, “It’s a one-woman shop, I’m running the entire store from buying to selling and I love it.” Because A Different Niche! is a passion for Faye, she makes every decision based on what is best for the customer.

Especially during Coronavirus, Faye has kept customers at the forefront of her business, “We are sanitizing every day, providing space for customers to social distance while they shop, and making sure our store is clean,” she says. You can rest easy knowing that every precaution is taken to ensure customer safety and satisfaction.

When asked why she decided to open her own home décor store, Faye speaks of creating a shopping experience centered around the customer. “A Different Niche! encourages customers to come in, take the time to browse, touch, and feel the products, and smell the wonderful candles and lotions in the store.” Faye points out, “I have fun with this business, I want to provide people with a fun shopping experience and organized space where they can easily find the items that will be perfect in their home.”

Finding the Perfect Gift

As the holidays approach, it can be harder and harder to find that perfect gift for someone that encapsulates how much you love them. You want to find them a gift that shows them you took careful consideration and put effort into your search. At A Different Niche! you can create custom gift baskets with exclusive candles, local wines, sandals, hats, apothecary items, self-care products, and much more! 

Unique is the focus at A Different Niche!. Faye’s approach is to offer products that accentuate people’s style and take on a personal meaning to them. Part rustic, part chic and part farmhouse, Faye’s sense of style comes from years of learning what her customers treasure most. Her new store continues to offer the brand names her clientele has come to love from her original location while adding more new product lines to discover. You’ll find brands like Tyler Candle Company®, Orleans Home Fragrances®, Noodle & Boo®, Bella Tunno®, Bearington Baby Collection®, Park Hill®, Forty West®, Uttermost®, nora fleming®, among many others. The shop also carries a large selection of Texas-based brands including wines you will totally enjoy! A Different Niche! is perfect for those who are looking for items that are going to make a house “feel like a home.”

Always Something New!

At A Different Niche! you have a wide variety of products to choose from, however, new products are coming to the store all the time. Faye is dedicated to trying to find the next best thing in farmhouse style as she says, “I’m constantly changing our lineup of products, offering new designs in a rustic farmhouse style.” You never know what you might find on your next shopping trip! New products don’t mean you’ll have to pay higher prices, you just have more choices. As Faye points out, “I try to keep my prices as low as possible for our customers.” You’ll be able to find affordable, unique items that won’t break the bank. 

Not sure if you are ready to enter the store yet? That’s okay! Check out A Different Niche! and a curated selection of products on Instagram and Facebook @adifferentniche. These sites are being updated daily. You can also contact Faye at A Different Niche! through their store’s social media for additional product information and pricing.

A Different Niche! Isn’t stopping anytime soon

While Coronavirus may have altered our lives in ways we could have never predicted, it doesn’t have to stop us from achieving our dreams. Faye Milstead and A Different Niche! are an exemplification of this. While 2020 may not have been exactly what Faye had planned, she didn’t let that stop her and it doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying this beautiful boutique. With evolving product lines, an expanding loyal customer base, and superior customer service, the future for A Different Niche! is destined to be successful growth.

For all of your upcoming holiday needs come shop at A Different Niche! A Different Niche! Is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Come shop and enjoy a glass of wine at the store located at 2114 McCaleb Road, BLDG. A Ste. 100, Montgomery, TX. You can also give them a call at 936-286-8073 and find them online at www.adifferentniche.com.