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Mill Valley Baby & Kids targets pampered set

By Jane Kitchen -- Kids Today, 4/1/2006 12:00:00 AM

Mill Valley, Calif. —

Stacy and Lionel Achuck bought Mill Valley Baby and Kids from its original owner, Serena & Lily co-founder Lily Kanter, just this past January, but they already have big plans for the specialty store.

"We're changing a few things here and there, trying to maximize every bit of space," said Stacy. "And we're going to try to open five or six other stores."

Achuck said she's looking at other areas on the West coast, including Walnut Creek, Palo Alto and San Diego, and considering New York.

"It's kind of like having a kid," she said, "You're never quite ready, but you just jump in."

Set in the idyllic Marin County suburb of Mill Valley, in the shadow of Muir Woods and the Golden Gate National Seashore, Mill Valley Baby and Kids is nestled in a quaint town square complete with gorgeous towering redwoods and sunny benches. Moms driving Land Rovers push their kids around town in Bugaboos, visiting coffee shops and the local pet supply store, which specializes in raw food for the most pampered of pets.

Mill Valley Baby and Kids fits right in, offering pampered kids designer linens from the likes of Serena & Lily, dwellbaby and amy coe, along with furniture from Morigeau-Lepine, Corsican, My Room and Vermont Precision, and a wide range of books, toys and accessories from companies like eeBoo, Cloud b and Barefoot Dreams. One room, dubbed the Sugar Shack, is devoted entirely to apparel for kids up to 4 years old, with selections from Zutano, Coccoli, Pixie Lily, Tea, Malina, Gold Rush Outfitters and Kissy Kissy, along with shoes from Merrill, Jack and Lily and Puma.

But it's not just the merchandise selection that sets Mill Valley Baby and Kids apart. The store is painted in murals by Serena & Lily's Serena Dugan, which give the space a one-of-a-kind feel and give each vignette its own personality. A 135-gallon salt-water aquarium helps entertain kids (without the use of electronics!) while parents shop, and even features many of the characters from "Finding Nemo."

Clearly, the store has hit its mark with its niche customer base; when I visited on a Friday afternoon, the store was bustling — with mothers looking at complete nurseries, with grandmothers pouring over the book section, and with a little boy happily wheeling a toy around the floor.

Serena & Lily linens factor heavily into the merchandise mix for Mill Valley Baby and Kids, and hand-painted murals give vignettes a unique look.

The store features a wide range of books, toys and other gifts.

Mill Valley Baby and Kids is full of color, and vignettes feature artwork, bedding and accessories.

Apparel from the likes of Zutano, Tea and Kissy Kissy, along with a wide range of adorable shoes, are set aside in the Sugar Shack, a separate room at the back of the store.

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