Melrose on Ponce

I think they might be ready for Halloween

By Jonathan Goldberg
staff writer for hometown dekalb



When you hear that the name Melrose on Ponce you may be confused into thinking that someone’s talking about a primetime soap opera centered around trendy twenty-somethings and their turbulent romantic lives. In this case you’d be seriously off the mark. Melrose on Ponce is in fact a unique gift store in downton Decatur whose name was inspired by owner Shirlyn Englisby’s grandmother.

Melrose on Ponce is a charming gift shop that specializes in providing items such as backpacks, clothing, linens, napkins and pillows that can be monogrammed on site. The store, which is located at 345 West Ponce De Leon near the square, also sells other unique gifts and frequently has local artists working on site. This gives the shop a wonderful atmosphere that encourages people to come in and chat with the artists who consign their work to the store.

Shirlyn Englisby’s grandmother, Melrose, ran a flea market/vintage shop from her living room in her elder years. Not only was the shop’s namesake inspired by Englisby’s grandmother’s experience, so was Englisby’s desire to have artists work and sell their pieces in her store. Englisby feels that the store’s name is both catchy and keeps the family name special.

Englisby’s partner, Valerie Kartwe, is co-owner of Melrose on Ponce. Kartwe has always harbored a love of vintage merchandise. The result is a store that contains a meld of both the old and the new. In addition to the art works available and the monogrammed items, Melrose on Ponce also offers gift baskets with natural (no preservative) foods, soaps, bees wax candles (that emit less smoke) and other gift items.

Englisby and Kartwe’s mission is to redefine the traditional gift shop concept. Melrose on Ponce is succeeding in their mission and is a shop where you can find a multitude of unique and whimsical gifts for friends and family members as well as for your own home. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, now is a great time to visit and if necessary, place orders for anything that would need to be monogrammed. Many items for the Spring holidays and garden themed products will be arriving in mid-February.

The store is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. with seasonal extended hours. To reach Melrose on Ponce by phone, call (404) 378-1013.