If you are looking for that unique home décor, gift or special piece of furniture, then you are in luck. Navarre residents are excited to welcome an eclectic new store to the local community. Conveniently located just north of the 98/87 turnoff you’ll find a brand new building which is home to Pik-itz!. Owner Terry & Dean Light and business partner Phyllis Gonzalez are proud to be open and serving the local community.
Light is the epitome of the saying “Do what you love…love what you do!” She says the business concept came from her love of travel and collecting during and after her husband’s 26 years of service in the Air Force.
“We finally agreed that I couldn’t buy any more treasures until I got rid of a few,” Light joked. “What better way than to have a booth at an antique mall so we set up in a local Gulf Breeze establishment.”
That corner booth design lead to the unusual name, Pik-itz!
“Phyllis and I designed a little picket fence to delineate our space and manage traffic flow,” Light said. “When we would meet other vendors, they’d say, ‘Oh, you are the pickets ladies.’”
Pik-itz! success and growth prompted a move to the little yellow building on Highway 87 in 2016 where they also incorporated watercolor painting classes into the mix.
Business was good there too, according to Light, but growth options were limited. She and husband, Dean finally decided to give the venture a real boost and start fresh by building their own place. She and Gonzalez are pleasantly surprised at the customers coming to the new store daily who watched it being built and are excited to see the end result.
The ladies are quick to point out that Pik-itz! is different from other similar type businesses. The store features a wide variety of inventory, both new and well-loved including gifts, painted furniture, antiques…pretty much everything you would find in a traditional antique mall. However, the layout is different.
“Pik-itz! Is designed with the shopper in mind,” Light explained. “Our vendors don’t rent booth space. They pay a flat service fee and bring their inventory to us. We place it in ‘departments’ such as a kitchen or garden area, tool shed, etc. Shoppers love to browse and get ideas for their homes. Our vendor list is filling rapidly and we will soon be on a wait.”
Besides some fun-filled shopping, budding artists can try their hand at the popular watercolor classes or enjoy a session of Art Uncorked. Light is also working on offering summer art classes for the kids. Additionally, the store carries a limited line of art supplies, which will expand with demand.
Locals and visitors alike are encouraged to stop in, say “hi” and shop ‘til they drop. Pik-itz! Grand opening event is scheduled for May 18 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Centennial Bank will provide hamburgers and hot dogs and there will be live music on the fabulous back lawn. Get in on the raffle for a 1906 Singer sewing machine and a Civil War era flintlock musket. The drawing will be held at 1 p.m. Proceeds benefit Santa Rosa County Bridges Out of Poverty.
Pik-Itz is open daily at 1922 Hwy. 87 S in Navarre. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 12 -4 p.m. on Sunday. For more information contact the store at (850) 710-7128 or shoppikitz@gmail.com or visit www.pitiz.com.
