The Local Series – “High Style Vintage with Mountain Dandy – The Showroom, Jackson Hole, Wyoming”

While on our annual summer getaway to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, I always pop in to my favorite artisan crafted gift store, MADE.

This year I posted a photo, while shopping, to my Instagram and promptly got a response telling me that I should check out their “brother store” Mountain Dandy – The Showroom. How grateful I am that they reached out (seriously, social media deserves a fist bump for that one)! Although I am still in shock that I had not yet discovered this magical decor paradise, I am so happy to have remedied that misstep and am even more excited to share it with you! I am also very excited to expand “The Local Series” beyond the borders of Kansas City, and bring a piece of beautiful Jackson Hole to my readers.

Store owners, John Frechette and Christian Burch (the latter of which grew up in Kansas and still regularly visits family in Kansas City) introduced their eye for style to Jackson in 2010 when John opened MADE, featuring items such as gifts, home accessories, jewelry and more, all handmade by artisans local to Wyoming and across the United States. Four years later, Mountain Dandy opened in a location adjacent to MADE carrying American made items for the home, vintage goods, men’s apothecary and furniture all with, “a collegiate and men’s club atmosphere.”

Quickly outgrowing the smaller-sized space of Mountain Dandy, John and Christian began to look for a second location to house their vision on a larger-scale. Thus Mountain Dandy – The Showroom came to be.

Upon acquiring their new space, the couple went to work transforming the interior to suit their style. Multi-colored walls were painted a fresh white to brighten the space and to set the stage for their incredible vintage finds, furniture, apothecary and home decor items.

“We love vintage finds, but we also incorporated new furnishings into the shop as well,” John said, “we didn’t want it to feel like an antique store.”

While visiting Mountain Dandy – The Showroom, it would be impossible to miss the artwork placed throughout the shop. Their art is one of the features that John and Christian feel makes their store unique to others. All available artwork is vintage, acquired from road trip buying excursions that the couple embark upon throughout the year. “We enjoy turning found pieces into art,” John said. Christian echoed this sentiment while showing a recently sold piece of vintage child rodeo chaps framed simply on a white background with black frame. “This is kind of a riff on the Western art that you find in Jackson,” he said, “Sometimes we find things that we aren’t sure what we are going to do with it, but we have to have it. Those often turn out the best. We try to do something different, unique.”

When asked what influences the couple in choosing items for the shop Christian said he enjoys looking at home decor magazines, books and Instagram but, ultimately, “We buy things and stage the store based on what we like,” he said. John joked, “We take the items from our buying trips and try to present it so it doesn’t feel like a swap meet.” Both Christian and John emphasize that listening to what their customers are looking for also assists them in what they put in their shop. John said, “We want to present a product that people love.”

With their keen sense of style, Christian and John have created a store filled with highly curated items for the home that is as unique as it is beautiful. On a personal note, I am so glad to have met Christian and John and admire their effort in preserving the atmosphere of Jackson and building a local brand, they also happen to be two of the nicest people! I am thankful to them for their hospitality and sharing the story of their shops. If you happen to find yourself in Jackson Hole be sure to visit Mountain Dandy – The Showroom, Mountain Dandy, MADE , and their newest store, Mursell’s Sweet Shop (arguably one of the cutest candy shops that I have ever been to), to give your sweet tooth a treat!