Laurel Leaf, 6919 Laurel Ave., Takoma Park
You can shop for books, plants, and vintage decor at three small businesses under a single roof in Takoma Park. Laurel Leaf, which opened in March, is a collaboration between Orly Keiner of HouseMouse Books and Vintage, Heather Rowe of Cheeky’s Vintage, and Agnes Traynor of Indigro Plant Design.
The trio became friends while running their businesses in Takoma Park. Keiner and Traynor operated storefronts in the neighborhood, and Cheeky’s Vintage began with pop-ups in Takoma Park before opening a location in Hyattsville. Over time, the owners realized their products fit together in a single space.
“It was striking to me how similar our vision was,” says Keiner. “When I talked to Agnes, I was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could have a first floor boutique, and it could be really integrated, plants and books?’ And then I would talk to Heather and we would have the same conversation: ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could do the vintage and the books?’ ”
As a collaboration between three businesses, the store offers an eclectic mix of goods. There’s a large selection of midcentury-modern furniture, including vintage glassware and tables, which Rowe procures from auctions and estate sales. Bookshelves are lined with titles ranging from classics to new releases, and the small collection is carefully curated by Keiner. Lush shelves burst with tropical houseplants, which Traynor sources from a local greenhouse.
The shop is located in a former bank dating back to the 1930s. (An area that was once a cash-drop processing room is now a children’s reading corner.) Entering the store is like stepping into a Pinterest board: a woodland forest is painted on the wall, display cases hold small trinkets such as matchboxes and vintage Metro tokens, and a reclaimed 1930s sink is filled with verdant plants.
Traynor found the sink at Community Forklift, a salvage store near Hyattsville, and refinished it. It’s now a DIY plant bar as well as a space for repotting services and plant care consultations. Other planters are sourced by vintage curator Rowe. “It’s about having something in the store that could’ve been in a landfill,” says Rowe. “I really believe in bringing this stuff back into people’s worlds.”
Beyond their wares, the businesses are also hosting events at the shop, some of which will be familiar to longtime customers. Traynor is continuing her terrarium workshops, and Keiner is planning to relaunch Escape the Bookshop, an escape game based on local mysteries.
