Some of you may have heard about the new home & garden lifestyle concept in the works, Terrain, the 4th brand from Urban Outfitters, Inc. The first retail location, Terrain at Styer's opens to the public tomorrow in Concordville, PA…just outside Philadelphia. Here's a sneak peek at the new 11 acre garden center blending home fashion and horticulture. I've been hearing bits and bobs of things in the works, so I am sure the space and details will be absolutely stunning. I'll be visiting the new shop next week and will some post more photos then especially for those of you not in Philly…
thanks for the heads-up!
Hooray! Another shop full of stuff I’ll desperately want but can’t afford to buy. 🙁
I will go check it out!!!!! I am sure it will be wonderful.
I’m surprised to see that store on your blog…it is in my neck of the woods. I pass it all the time, and never knew that it was going to be an Urban Outfitters brand store, since it seems they are keeping the Styer’s name. I may have to stop there on the way home from work tomorrow. And it definitely doesn’t hurt that Anthropologie is right across the street!
I love that Anthropologie! Nice to see some cool stores in our area.
I…Love…This…Store. GREAT pictures. I wish is was in my backyard!
It looks lovely…It’s a good thing I don’t live anywhere near there. I would be in big trouble.
Oh My- anyone up for a drive? I have to say although I have a store of my own- this truly what i dream about!
Oh My- anyone up for a drive? I have to say although I have a store of my own- this truly what i dream about!
Oh My- anyone up for a drive? I have to say although I have a store of my own- this truly what i dream about!
Oh My- anyone up for a drive? I have to say although I have a store of my own- this truly what i dream about!
Oh my gosh it looks incredible! I just want to live in that first image! Too bad I don’t live anywhere near Pennsylvannia.
come to texas!
Yeah! I’m going to Philly tomorrow and am definitely adding this to the list of places to visit.
the store designers of urban totally can do no wrong. absolutely stunning!
The new store is called Terrain at Styers; the previous, over 100-year-old independent nursery and garden shop, which Urban Outfitters, Inc., bought, was called J. Franklin Styer Nurseries. Many people from J. Franklin Styer Nurseries are not at Terrain, and people have been wondering where they went. I can report that my husband, garden artist, former garden shop manager and former vice-president Michael Petrie, the well-known “Best-in-Show” award-winning Philadelphia Flower Show designer for J. Franklin Styer Nurseries, has launched his own nursery, garden shop and design studio called HANDMADE GARDENS in Downingtown, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Working with him as plant buyer is SUE PHILLIPS, Pennsylvania Certified Horticulturist, also formerly of J. Franklin Styer Nurseries. You can see their work, get HANDMADE’s address, etc at http://www.handmadegardens.net.
Michael and Sue have a lot of fans, both in the horticultural as well as the art/design world (Michael studied painting and printmaking at The Philadelphia College of Art and The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art), so its good to be able to let people know where they are now.
If anyone is looking for other favorite people from J. Franklin Styer Nurseries, you can call Michael at HANDMADE, he is in touch with many of them.
All the best,
Kathye (Mrs. Michael) Petrie
Oh. My. Goodness. Wow – where to begin? First, run, don’t walk. Get there, drink it all in, plan on spending a few hours and as much money as you can spare (the prices weren’t bad at all which was pleasantly surprising, I just wanted everything). Don’t for a minute think you’re going back to the old Styer’s. Comparing Terrain to the old Styer’s is impossible. It’s like leaving your humdrum husband in the morning and coming home to a guy who resembles him a little bit but who spent all day with the Project Runway people (and Henry Higgins). I used to shop at Styer’s – it was nice, it was friendly, the plants were great, etc. But that’s where it ended. It wasn’t a place that I ever got really excited about. Not a place where I would bring out of towners. Not a place I ever considered a destination. I went today with a friend who doesn’t garden and she filled my car up with a paycheck’s worth of goodies. We were absolutely blown away. There were some old faces from Styers there and new and old, they all know their plants. Friendly, approachable, knowledgable. These people all dig in the dirt, you can’t fake that even with a lot of pretty things about (oh, are they pretty!). It’s pure genius. You have to go and see it for yourself and get inspired to transform your garden. Go. Breathe. Dig. Repeat…
This looks like a really fantastic store. For a while now, I’ve thought about opening a shop that’s combination garden center & gallery, and this is probably the closest I’ve seen to what I’ve imagined. Joy, I can’t wait to hear more about it after you visit. Thanks for sharing this with those of us outside the Philly area!
No one has mentioned the cafe yet. It will officially open sometime this week and talk about a fabulous and inventive menu. Only open for breakfast and lunch for now (soon dinner and events)I think you will find the use of fresh, organic ingredients, in intriguing combinations irresistable. I have not tried anything but hear from my “sprout” that works there that everything she has tried (they were guinea pigs) has been amazing. I’m thinking this is where I want to spend Mothers Day for brunch (and maybe the sprout will spring for something special as my Mother’s Day gift while I am there)If its half as good as I hear we are in for a treat.
It looks like Petersham Nurseries in London…
It is beautiful!
http://www.petershamnurseries.com/
I had no idea. Thanks for the heads-up.
I can’t wait to see more pictures! I design retail spaces, and am always shopping for new ideas and inspiration. Unfortunately I won’t be able to check this place out anytime in the foreseeable future. I’m so curious though, it’s such an interesting concept! I would love to see how it was done.
More pics if you want to see what the visual crew’s been up to…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/damianathegirl/sets/72157604648344991/
i’m all excited and can’t wait to see Terrain – heard from my daughter that the store and nursery designers were outstanding in creating a unique garden/nursery/outdoor haven. Looking forward to a visit later this month as a birthday/belated Mother’s day present.
I can’t wait to see the place in person. I will be driving in from kutztown to the big Antique shop in Salem Nj and will make terain a stop thanks for the heads up!
There is no doubt – Terrain is a “mini-me” of London’s Petersham Nurseries. Spot the difference: http://www.petershamnurseries.com.
Have you seen the CACTUS! WOW
Having been a long time customer of Styer’s my first visit to terrain was less then rewarding. They have replaced the old trees and extensive variety of plants with heavy stoned paths that are hard to push your cart through. With the trees gone, the wind and dirt swirls around the nursery and gets in your throat and hair as you try to get to the wooden enclosures that hold the shade perennials. They are not attractive enclosures and as a unit work like an very unattractive warehouse. The Landscape architect next to me in line who was having just as much difficulty getting his cart to the register as I was made a good analogy. It’s like Epcot center at Disney World, trying way to hard to look like a nursery but having none of the small details that make up the joyous experience that Styer’s was to people who truly love gardening.
I left with three plants that were over priced, root bound in there pots, dry from not enough watering and a bit weepy looking from
overexposure to the elements. That’s exactly how I felt as I put all my weight on the cart to try to get it’s small wheels through the stones and back to the dust bowl going on in the parking lot.
Progress has not been good to this area. They had nature all around them and bowled down every tree for miles and are left with dust, dirt and wind. Hard to have an eco moment when the township has aloud the land to be raped in the name of progress.
Hopefully, Terrain will learn the nursery business a little better, in stead of pretending to look like they do.
How exciting! I wish I could be there!!
I traveled to the Philadelphia area yesterday to see my Mom and take her to have lunch at Terrian .We really enjoyed the seared scallops that were served with a beautiful salsa made with small pear shaped heirloom tomatoes,and these wonderful timbales. I am wondering if the timbales were made with polenta-they were terrific with the scallops and I’d like to try my best to duplicate this meal now that I am back on Martha’s Vineyard. Marsha Ahearn
I agree with the previous posting that it seems to be modeled after Petershams Nurseries in the UK. Is there such a place in Paris?