Heather Grahling turns former office space into vibrant boutique in West Hartford Center. 

By Melissa Cole

There’s no greater compliment for Heather Grahling, owner of Vivid Hue Home, than when a customer walks in and feels like they’ve been transported to Palm Beach or another trendy coastal town. Inside her new West Hartford shop, the vibe is colorful, bright and playful, with plenty of pops of pink.

She’s a Farmington resident now, but Grahling grew up in a military family and moved frequently, spending much of her childhood in the south and in Virginia, where bold colors in fashion and home décor are a bit more common than here in New England.

“So I’ve always been like that in the way I dress and in the way I decorate my own homes,” she said. “I love mixing patterns and colors together in ways maybe people wouldn’t normally do. Whether it’s wallpaper on a wall with a plaid and then adding a stripe to it. I kind of do the same thing when I’m dressing as well. Make a statement.” 

With a lifelong love of both fashion and interior design, Grahling always knew she would someday own her own business.

“My sister and I always grew up saying, ‘We are gonna own a business together someday, somehow,’” she said. “I didn’t know if it was going to be antiquing, refinishing furniture, or making my own product of some sort. I thought about pillows for a long time. I was always drawn to fashion, so I just didn’t know what the niche would be.”

Many local shoppers likely visited Vivid Hue in its Farmington location which was first inside a small white cottage along Route 4 (that was only about 500 square feet), and later in the slightly larger space next door. While Grahling loved being part of that community, she said the opportunity to move to West Hartford Center felt like the right next step. When a space became available, she jumped at the chance.

“I think West Hartford has a lot of very fashionable and savvy customers; shoppers, restaurant-goers, you name it,” she said. “And I always wanted to be in this location just for the sheer exposure to all of the people.”

Vivid Hue Home is now located inside Sanditz Travel on Farmington Avenue, a space Grahling completely transformed mostly on her own. She painted the walls pink, sanded bookshelves, put up wallpaper, added area rugs, and gave the former office space an entirely new personality. Loyal followers watched the makeover in real time on Instagram as she documented the renovation process from start to finish.

“I’ve done a lot of that in my own house,” Grahling said. “I was really trying to pay attention to giving this a facelift without breaking the bank, which is what I try to do in my own home décor. I do a lot of it myself.”

Today, the focus of Vivid Hue Home is largely fashion, with a style Grahling describes as “colorful, preppy, a little Southern with New England charm.” Shoppers will still find accessories, jewelry, handbags, and plenty of hostess gifts throughout the boutique, but dresses and weekend wear have now taken center stage.

What Grahling prides herself on most is offering pieces customers won’t find everywhere else, which is exactly why she loves hearing shoppers say, “Oh my gosh, you don’t see this everywhere.”

“I’m trying to be attainable,” she said. “If you’ve got an event or a gala to go to, you can come and possibly find a dress that you might wear to a wedding, a bridal shower, or an event, and not see yourself coming and going in all of the other styles that you might find in more of a department store.”

The goal is for customers to find a fabulous dress without spending a fortune to get it.  

“Some of these dresses look like they could be $800,” she said. “I’m trying to keep the price point around $200 to $300, so you’re like, ‘Wow, I can actually afford to wear this to my event””

Don’t have a gala or fancy event on your calendar? Vivid Hue Home also carries a more casual collection of tops, shorts, pants, and sweaters, with many pieces priced at $100 or less.

As she settles into West Hartford Center, Grahling says she’s also looking forward to building relationships with the other women-owned boutiques and businesses nearby, especially those carrying fashion and accessories. Several shop owners have already stopped by to welcome her to the neighborhood.

“Within our first week of opening, the ladies from BK & Co. came in. They tried on dresses, and they were so welcoming,” she said. “And I’m a customer of the other boutiques. We’re all women business owners. I would love to create some sort of synergy where we share our customers and collaborate together.”

The hours at Vivid Hue Home are currently Wednesday through Saturday- from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with additional shopping available by appointment. Grahling also hopes to use the boutique as a gathering space for different community events.

“I want people to know that if you’ve got a social network or an event, or you want to host a meeting here or any sort of women’s group, book club, whatever, I’ll do private parties. If you’ve got a group of girls coming into town and you want them to have a private shopping event, I would absolutely love that.”

You can follow along on Instagram at @vividhuehome. Vivid Hue Home is located inside Sanditz Travel located at 945 Farmington Ave. Free parking for the boutique is available in the lot adjacent to the store.

You can also follow The Vivid Hue Home Project at @thecolorfulcthome on Instagram, where Grahling often shares her own home design and DIY projects. 

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