Business Q&A: Garden Gate Revisited

Since Garden Gate Revisited opened its doors last fall, owner Mildred Murphy has been busy preparing silk floral arrangements, selecting unique home accessories to showcase in the store, and making house calls to consult on customers’ décor. Here, Murphy discusses the ins and outs of running a home goods shop in RVC.

What types of products do you carry for the home?

We do custom silk and lace arrangements and we carry other home accessories, like outdoor wreaths, holiday decorations, dining room arrangements, ivies, and centerpieces. We have a huge inventory of merchandise right here in our basement.

What makes RVC a good location for Garden Gate Revisited?

Well, we opened our current location in September 2010. I’ve lived in Rockville Centre for 26 years and I love the town. It’s charming and elegant and I think that Garden Gate suites a good mix of the people who live here. We have a lot of regular customers in the area and we also work with local interior designers.

Is your own background in interior decorating?

Yes, I went to Molloy College for interior design and after that I got most of my training on the job. I’ve worked at Garden Gate for the past 20 years and have been an owner for the past 10 years.

What are some of the most popular items among customers?

Our front door wreaths and centerpieces are very popular, as well as our mirrors and lamps. There’s a lot of competition out there, so we really try to take our time selecting merchandise so that we have something for every taste. We always have a wide selection of prices and styles.

What do you hope shoppers get out of their experience in your store?

I want people to feel welcome and comfortable shopping, whether they walk out with a package or not. We have a staff of four people and we try to provide a very friendly store and to be as helpful as possible in regard to customer service.