Text and photo by Jahna Peloquin
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s the perfect opportunity to check out the Twin Cities’ newest gift shop. 14 Hill opened quietly in December under the tutelage of Julie Stamps, who spent the past two decades working as a buyer for local gift store chain Patina. She had recently left the position, intending to take some time off, when she noticed a vacant storefront in her neighborhood at the intersection of 48th and Chicago, a space formerly occupied by fellow gift shop, Shop in the City. Realizing the area was now in need of a gift shop, she jumped on the opportunity to open her own business.
Stamps gutted the space and renovated it to have a more stripped-down, industrial-modern look. “I wanted it to look modern yet homey with a neighborhood feel,” she says, “somewhere everyone would feel welcome.”
The selection features an eclectic mix of giftables not often found in the Twin Cities, such as McCrea’s Caramels, infused with ingredients such as black lava sea salt and ginger; corkscrews shaped like elephants; and mini arcade games. There’s also sections devoted to barware, craft beer, and home cooking, plus a large area featuring goods for kids and babies. Rest assured, shoppers will be sure to find something for everyone on their list.
14 Hill is more than an ordinary gift shop—it also carries an array of home goods, kitchenware, and home décor, including colorful dishes and towels, candles and fragrances by Minnesota-based brands Illume and Thymes, Edison bulbs, glazed pottery, concrete-base lamps, minimalist pendant lamps, and antiqued wall mirrors. “Lighting is really important in my home, so I wanted my store to reflect that,” says Stamps.
4737 Chicago Ave. S., Ste. 2, Minneapolis, 612-886-3606, 14hill.com
