For 60 years, Holmes Beach’s Original Sand Dollar has been a sweet spot for Florida-inspired trinkets. But since Julia Duytschaver took ownership of the shop six years ago from her husband Shawn Duytschaver’s family, it’s become a premier destination for coastal chic décor and apparel. The 45-year-old Duytschaver has an eye for unique finds, the likes of which you might find at the store Anthropologie, but for a third of the cost. “I want everything to be beautiful, but I refuse to overprice things,” she says. “It’s less about selling things at a high price point for me, and more about getting them sold so I can bring new gorgeous things in.”
You’ll find high-ticket items at the Original Sand Dollar, like furniture and chandeliers, but $30 will grab you something equally conversation-starting, as will $300. Pink parrot candlesticks, for example, retail at $24 each and lean less kitsch than they do whimsical and wonderful. And if transforming your home isn’t the aim, Duytschaver stocks the shop with oodles of women’s clothing in a variety of styles, ranging from garden party-ready to classically nautical to boho beachy and everything in between. Is it worth the drive up busy Anna Maria Island in the middle of tourist season? Absolutely.
Handmade Oyster Shell Mirror ($221)
Fulfill your childhood mermaid dreams when gazing into this mirror adorned with shellacked shells.
Ceramic Sardines ($25)…