Suite Pieces in Huntington Station is a hidden 'mini-mall' of women-owned shops

Suite Pieces, an established interior-design store and studio in Huntington Station, recently nailed down its own major renovation. Now, antiques and vintage homeware vendors renting retail space in the three-level building — collectively called The Shops at Suite Pieces — are  all grouped downstairs.

"Now it’s a curated mini-mall," says Amanda Peppard, 43, who has run Suite Pieces since 2012 and leased space to other retailers for 11 years. "Today the shops are all in one cohesive marketplace."

The makeover, marked by a grand reopening in January, spotlights the inviting space as a shopping destination where diverse business owners — many of them women — tap their entrepreneurial and creative sides.

Before the sweeping reno, a few sellers shared space on the first floor with Suite Pieces, a go-to store for paints, custom furniture, wallpaper, window treatments and design services. The upstairs level houses offices and leased artists’ studios.

There was room for improvement in the layout for both buyers and sellers, Peppard and shop owners agreed. "There was a disconnect on the main floor," says Michelle Lotierzo, 56, a luggage and bag designer, whose store, Swoon Shop, opened there in 2014.

"It was confusing for the customers," Lotierzo continues. "For Suite Pieces to tell their full story they really needed the entire main floor, so it made more sense to divide and relocate the other stores."

A pink neon arrow on the first floor points the way to the basement boutiques. Signs mark the names of the 12 current shops and the separate checkout area. The business model includes relatively low-risk month-to-month leases — around $175 to $400 a month — and a shared point-of-sale system. Dealers work two days a month at the mall or otherwise arrange for coverage. With leases currently in flux, 10 of the 12 businesses are owned by women. The concept is similar to that of salon suites popping up across Long Island, which allow multiple business owners the opportunity to rent out space within a single beauty hub.

Liz Sliclen, 53, opened Our Own Projects at Suite Pieces in September 2020. Having to be there two days a month instead of daily is a big plus. "It gives you a lot more freedom than you’d have as an individual," she says.

The Shops feature everything from furniture and home accessories to reimagined vintage treasures and jewelry. Prices for items can range from under $20 to over $400.

"We love upcycling. People love that too," says Elena Murphy, 53, a science teacher at Mineola Middle School who enjoys using her creative side at her two stores, 4-month-old Hearth and 4-year-old Lost & Found.

Murphy comanages The Shops with Lotierzo and Jason Guanlao. They initiated the shift to unify sellers as a way to boost business by "making it a more vibrant community of vendors," says Murphy.

Within the group, each store showcases the owner’s individual interests, tastes and favorite things.

"I started Swoon because I had a house filled with antiques and items from travels," says Lotierzo, who describes the vibe in her shop as "cool, electric, feminine and feminist. It’s basically an expression of my home lifestyle. I’m not bringing in anything that I wouldn’t want to have in my own home."

Melanie Milton, 55, director of production at Telfar in Queens, has worked three decades in the fashion industry. Last October at Suite Pieces, she launched The New York Cottage Industry for upcycled treasures in a snug space she personalized with bold blue and floral wallpaper.

For her, the sense of community really clicks. "It’s a collective of very talented people," she says. "Everyone’s shop is curated in such an individual way. I feel so lucky to be a part of it."

That feeling, just like a great vintage treasure, never gets old.

The Shops at Suite Pieces at 1038 New York Ave., Huntington Station, 631-560-9759; suitepieces.com