Oliver Whitby is Rehoboth’s newest shopping experience
From serging every seam to coming up with a method to hide zippers, Oliver Whitby owner Don Preston said he knew quality was going to be key when opening a store where the main items for sale are the pillows he makes.
There’s a level of pride and workmanship that goes into every pillow, because the fabrics used are works of art and once it’s gone, it’s gone, said Preston.
Oliver Whitby is located on Rehoboth Avenue, immediately west of Just Comfort Shoes. Preston said he grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and was taught to sew by his grandmother as a child after school while his parents were working.
“It was an amazing experience. She would sing and sew,” he said. “In my head, I can hear her now.”
As an adult, Preston spent his professional career in a job that called for traveling the world, and wherever he went, he said, he would always find himself buying textiles. That’s why when he decided to leave that world, he returned to his humble roots to go into the pillow-making business, he said.
The pillows are made with textiles from all over the world and are part of collections that are not being created anymore. There are pillows made from Ralph Lauren fabric that dates back to the 1970s. There are pillows made from Wilmington-based Jim Thompson Fabrics, which makes luxury interior textiles.
Preston said he doesn’t buy much more than a few yards of fabric at a time and he numbers each pillow.
From start to finish, Preston said it takes him about four hours to make a pillow. There’s a lot of effort that goes into making sure patterns lineup while also using the fabric appropriately, he said.
In addition to pillows, there’s an eclectic collection of items for sale that Preston said he’s hand selected and uses at his home.
“I knew I couldn’t just have a store that sold pillows,” he said, then proceeded to go around the room and tell a story for each item. The beeswax candles are from a mother-and-daughter team in New York. The wooden jigsaw puzzles are of paintings by artist Anna Pugh and exclusive in the United States to his store. He’s a believer in writing notes, so there are notecards made by hand at small shops. He has scented candles from a shop in London, as well as chocolate from a maker in Brooklyn, organic drink mixers that are good in cocktails or with just club soda, and Duralex glasses that have a timeless style and are super durable.
The store is located in a one-story, cinderblock building, but Preston has kept the space open. There’s a large table in the middle, with a couple of sewing machine tables next to it. The items for sale sit on wood furniture placed along the walls.
“It’s not crowded and it's never going to be that way,” said Preston. “I want this to be a community space that can gather around this table.”
Preston said he will be hosting soft opening parties, but the expected opening date is Friday, June 30. The store will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and by appointment.
“Everybody needs a break,” said Preston, on being closed Sunday and Monday.
For more information on Oliver Whitby, 239 Rehoboth Ave., call 302-667-2340, email info@oliverwhitby.com or go to oliverwhitby.com.
