On a corner building on East 15th downtown, you’ll find a quirky teal building with mosaic tiles and a neon sign reading off a peculiar name: La Foofaraw.
According to Merriam-Webster, foofaraw is frills and flashy finery. La Foofaraw embodies its definition. The store itself features eccentric objects to decorate a home or adorn a neck, including its own candle line, drinkware, jewelry and home decor.
But La Foofaraw is much more than a store.
“Our tagline is ‘I design for life and home,’” says owner Mona Crider. “So not only for your home — new lamps, new bedding or a new table top. We can provide all of that, but we also order special things.”
Crider runs the joint along with business partner Michael Hamilton. Crider brings decades of experience to their interior design services, while Hamilton’s floral designs elevate home decor and special events.
“It’s high design for home and life,” Crider says. “I like to think of it as though when we finish the job, it’s like we put the jewelry on the body. We put the jewelry on the house. We finish it off with accessories, the sparkle, the unexpected.”
Because of their unique combined skillset, La Foofaraw’s services change from day to day. From new builds to updating spaces, Crider mixes the old with the new to suit a client’s style.
“I like to try to figure out what brings them joy. I like to figure out what their boundaries are, and then I like to push them outside of that box every so often,” Crider says. “That is part of my job, I believe, to give them fresh ideas, but I want it to look like them.”
The owners’ eccentric taste isn’t all they’re known for. Their personalities fit the bill, and customer service tops every review.
“The last thing I want to do is something where somebody walks in your front door and stands in your entry and knows exactly what the back room looks like,” Crider says. “I want it to all flow and be coherent with each other. But I want there to be some elements of surprise and some unusual things that people would have never thought to put together.”
