You could say Kim Coslett has an innate talent for interior design. Her shop, Stellaโs Finishing Touches, partially derives its name from her grandmother, whose blue dress adorns a mannequin in the storefront. And it was her motherโs store that nurtured her skills while growing up in Indianapolis.
After retiring, Coslett and her husband, Dennis Walls, sought more activity. The Newburgh, Indiana, shop opened in 2016 in the coupleโs garage and relocated to 333 State St. two years later.
โWe were both too young to not have something to do,โ Walls says. Coslett adds, โHe said, โThis is boring. Letโs go home and start something fun.โโ
Stellaโs offers a one-stop-shop experience for all things interior design, stocking decorative items such as lamps, furniture, and wall art. Curated vignettes pepper each section, which functions as its own miniature living room. Some selections change seasonally. Even so, the colorful art, accent pillows, patterned flower vases, and unique decor all make sense together inside Stellaโs. Shoppers even can pick up jewelry. Many products are sourced from trips taken four times a year to furniture markets in Atlanta, Georgia, and High Point, North Carolina.
โWe have new things coming in almost every week. We always have art flowing through here because itโs such a hot item,โ she says.
Coslett and her staff, which includes four part-time employees, also assist homebuyers, builders, and commercial clients in defining their new spaces. Evansville Living readers will recognize design touches from the staff at Stellaโs in Jeff and Misty Bosseโs dramatic modern residence featured in the July/August 2024 issue and Becky and Tim Hartmanโs plastics factory-turned-homestead in the September/ October 2024 issue.
While much of the business remains local, the store also serves clients across the country, including in Florida and Nashville, Tennessee. Word-of-mouth and social media marketing play a vital role, but most of Stellaโs business comes from repeat customers.
โI enjoy helping people design their dream home or just a room and feel proud of it,โ employee Jarrett Wimsatt says.
Coslett says todayโs clientele is particularly drawn to transitional designs โ a blend of traditional and contemporary aesthetics. Many customers come in with photos of the space they wish to decorate, but Stellaโs staff always prefers home visits to get a better read on the clientโs design personality.
โOur customers have become almost like family. We get to know them and their families,โ Coslett says. โWe continue to enjoy what we do and take pleasure in making people happy with their homes, and when itโs not fun anymore, weโre done.โ
