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View Winners → Business Profile: Fresh Looks, Vintage Service: House of Windsor
Arcadia Weekly Dec 27, 2016
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Story and Photos by Emily G. Peters
The House of Windsor boutique is a visual picnic. At every turn, a display chock-a-block with all things sparkly, fragrant and textured tempts you to explore. It’s the kind of place you go when you can’t think of what to buy a woman in your life, only to reap a harvest of options.
Founded in 1993 by owners Daphne and Keith Maddison, House of Windsor once occupied three locations in Los Angeles before settling in Old Town Monrovia. Designed for women of all ages, their boutique is filled with clothing, jewelry, handbags, home goods, and a vast array of gift items.
From day one, the couple’s core ethic of “honoring God and blessing and serving others” has guided their uncompromising commitment to service. “Everyone we hire is trained to treat customers the way they would like to be treated,” said Daphne Maddison. “Whether a customer spends $5 or $500, they receive the same service and respect.”
House of Windsor is a proud retailer of Brighton products, a Los Angeles-based manufacturer of fine jewelry, leather goods and accessories.
It’s these serviceable touches that set House of Windsor apart. Open seven days a week, visitors can stop by anytime for a complimentary cappuccino to sip as they explore the shop. Gift registries and custom orders are available for those seeking special items, and free gift wrapping is offered year-round no matter what the purchase. Items can be shipped anywhere in the world—a plus for tourists looking to keep their luggage light. They even offer a 60-day layaway plan, a genuine throwback to traditional customer service.
After over two decades operating House of Windsor, Maddison knows the peaks and valleys of small business ownership. Though she appreciates the convenience of online shopping, she maintains that there are benefits to shopping local. “What customers don’t realize is that when you don’t walk into your local little stores, they’ll eventually be gone and it will impact the small towns tremendously,” she said, noting that home values increase when local businesses stay open. “That’s part of the importance of shopping locally—if for no other reason than it keeps your property values up!”
Even one of the shop’s most popular brands, Brighton jewelry and leather goods, is supplied from Brighton’s homebase in nearby City of Industry. House of Windsor has carried their products for 14 years. “Brighton was founded by a local couple who went to Mark Keppel High School,” said Maddison. “They’ve grown by leaps and bounds and I believe it’s because of their same core belief that the customer comes first.” The relationship illustrated how shopping local supports a community: from the vendor to retailer to customer and back again.
Regardless of the advent of online shopping, House of Windsor is proof that service equals staying power. “It’s a privilege to get to know people and to help them with whatever they’re looking for,” said Maddison. “You never know what someone is going through, and a bit of sincere kindness can go a long way in helping someone have a better day.”
House of Windsor is located in Old Town Monrovia at 526 S. Myrtle Ave. Contact them at (626) 303-5002 / houseofwindsormonrovia@gmail.com / www.houseofwindsormonrovia.com and get a glimpse of the visual picnic via Instagram @HouseofWindsorMonrovia and Facebook @HouseofWindsor.
