One look inside Historic Downtown Plant City’s newest boutique will have you singing, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.”
Stylish and Simply Stunning Interiors, or SASSI for short, has brought the holiday spirit to Plant City. And although Christmas only comes once per year, the new store specializes in holiday décor year-round.
“That’s what both of us love,” KeeLee Tomlinson said of herself and partner Roxanne Fulwood. “It’s the season; it’s the spirit of it all. It’s our passion.”
Located in the building which housed Knotts Hardware for more than 75 years, SASSI has brought a warm glow to the newly renovated space. Literally. Soft lights glow from majestic Christmas trees. The smell of cinnamon and spice waft through the doors. Where nuts and bolts used to be shelved, there are now sparkling ornaments and jolly Santa Claus figurines.
“I guess it just takes me back to childhood,” Fulwood said. “It’s just like a kid looking at the bright colors and the lights. It gets you out of the everyday normal stresses.”
Although the store opened Oct. 29, the duo has been sprucing up the space since March. They kept the original wood floors and ceiling beams. But, they added a granite check-out countertop, shelving and more. Perhaps the biggest difference is paint job on the exterior. The once red store is now green.
The business partners both worked at the Florida Strawberry Festival before starting their passion project. Tomlinson was in public relations, and Fulwood worked as the box office manager.
The two bonded over their love of Christmas and wanted to open a store. When they looked at Knotts as a possible location, they knew it was right. There were little signs waiting for them to discover.
“When we walked to the back room, there were trees,” Tomlinson said. “There was a cord, the kind that turns Christmas lights on with the red button, in one of the rooms.”
Tomlinson even found a small Christmas angel ornament hidden between two boxes.
“In our minds, we were planning it all out,” Fulwood said. “But, it fell into place.”
After renovations, the duo began transforming the store into a winter wonderland in August. They hope to have their grand opening the weekend of the Plant City Christmas Parade.
Christmas is the store’s main specialty, but SASSI also will carry other holiday décor items, depending on the season, as well as home furnishings and bedding. Although customers seem to love the idea of a Christmas oasis all year long.
“Thank you for opening this store,” one shopper said to the team while browsing through merchandise. “We really needed something like this.”
In addition to the store, Tomlinson and Fulwood are also offering personal interior design services. To book an appointment, call the store.
SASSI hasn’t even been open for two weeks, but the owners said they have enjoyed a steady stream of customers.
“A lot of customers appreciate it when they find out it’s Christmas all year,” Tomlinson said. “This is our hometown, and the support we received has been great.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
BASICS
SASSI
ADDRESS: 314 S. Collins St.
PHONE NUMBER: (813) 704-6896
HOURS: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Extended hours on Bike Fest and Strawberry Classic Car Show nights.
APPOINTMENTS: For interior design appointments, call the store or email twosassi@aol.com.
WEB: sassidecor.com