On The Move
Owner Boone excited to open
Blush on Main at new location
This Madison, Ind., entrepreneur
has many projects going
(November 2016) – Mary Beth Boone has mastered the art of juggling – raising a family, running several businesses, volunteering for numerous not-for-profit organizations – and that is on a slow day. Toss in designing a new look and new location for her primary business, Blush on Main, while giving a facelift to the executive wing at local business VSG, and you begin to see the skilled juggler of time she has become.
“My concept for success is to change, evolve and be progressive,” Boone explained. She put this philosophy to work this past year as she rebranded Blush, from the look of the logo to the services being offered, to the look and location of the building.
On Friday, Sept. 29, Blush on Main opened its doors at the new location, 113 W. Main St. in Madison, Ind. It has a larger space than the previous location at 112 E. Main St. In addition to the boutique and home accents Blush has become known for, the new building houses the Blush Salon and the French Tulip Florist and Décor, both purchased by Boone earlier this year.
Marketed as a unique shopping experience blending the latest fashions with trend-setting jewelry and top quality home accents and gifts, Blush on Main offers an opportunity to take people out of traditional boxes, Boone says. “I want to give my shoppers the opportunity to purchase fashions from New York and Europe right here in Madison.”
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Photo by Madonna Wilson Mary Beth Boone poses inside her newly relocated Blush on Main store at 113 W. Main St., Madison, Ind. |
According to Blush on Main customer Stephanie Bear of Madison, Blush has always had a classy feel, but she finds the new location truly beautiful and more spacious. “I like that you can walk out of Blush with a great new look that you will not see on every third person you pass on the street,” said Bear. “Mary Beth and her staff are so helpful and make shopping fun,” she added.
Built in the 1800s, Blush on Main’s new home is restored to its original grandeur with dark wood, exposed brick walls and the deep storefront windows. Keeping true to the history of the building, yet incorporating her design and color specialists’ skills, Boone custom blended the paint for the exterior of the building to complement the colored glass of the original structure.
When presented with the opportunity to purchase the flower shop and salon, Boone found the motivation to once again think outside the box and create an all-inclusive shopping experience, “Impromptu Weddings.”
Boone said she believes Madison has the potential to become a version of Nashville, Tenn., citing the great entertainment venues and shopping available downtown. Now with the services offered within the walls of Blush, a bride can have her hair and makeup done by a stylist straight from New York’s Fashion Week, select her flowers and even her gown. The boutique carries traditional, formal and even modern gowns for the bride and the bridal party.
Her vision includes co-branding opportunities with area business to provide the complete wedding experience from venues, to horse-drawn carriages and chauffer transportation, to caterers.
Construction is currently underway to turn the second story of her building in to a guest suite that will be able to accommodate the wedding party.
“You can be budget friendly yet still do things on a grand scale,” Boone said. And part of that grand scale idea has Blush and the French Tulip expanding to cities such as Indianapolis, Frankfort and Cincinnati. Her reputation for having a wide selection of Kentucky Derby hats, often referred to as fascinators, has resulted in customers coming from Louisville to purchase their party attire.
Making people feel good is another passion for Boone. This past Derby season, she took a selection of her more than 80 hats to a local senior facility for the residents to enjoy. She featured some of these ladies during her fundraising fashion show this past spring – Advanced Styles, a sold-out event that raised money for suicide prevention and the Boys and Girls clubs.
Keeping with her pledge to assist at least four charities a year, she recently accepted the invitation to serve as the Southeast Advocate for the Children’s Advocacy Center.
“There is a huge need for children’s advocates in Jefferson County,” she explained. “We lag far behind other counties in Indiana.”
Boone’s passion for fashion and a mind for business landed Blush on Main as a finalist for the Top Boutique in Indiana this past year. Impressive for a business that is only five years old. She prides herself on being ahead of the boutiques in New York, which led her to spend the month of August touring Spain and the south of France for the next big fashion explosion.