The Ivy Cottage was opened in 1998 by the mother/daughter team of Sam Dunn and Kelaine Vargas. Sam (the mother) owned a bed & breakfast in Wilmington and Kelaine (the daughter) graciously agreed to help out there for a year before she went on to graduate school. Unfortunately, the B&B was a little too quiet for two people who had spent their lives living and traveling all over the world with the military, so the idea of The Ivy Cottage was born.

This idea did come with a lot of knowledge in the furniture and consignment business. Sam, who was an Army daughter and Army wife her entire life before moving to Wilmington, had an extensive background in furniture and oriental carpet sales. She also spent years as a volunteer in the Army’s resale shops. These consignment shops are set up to help Army families sell unwanted items so they don’t have to move them from one assignment to the next. Naturally, this was a great training opportunity for someone who would eventually see the need for such a business in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Kelaine spent countless hours with Mom (and without) exploring antique shops and flea markets in Europe and the United States. These adventures gave her a great love for and knowledge of antiques, old sterling and fine linens.

Armed with all of this knowledge and a great deal of courage, hard work and luck, Sam and Kelaine opened the first Ivy Cottage at 3020 Market Street. Fortunately, it was a success from the day it opened and was filled to overflowing within a year. By 2001 the second building was built right next door at 3030 Market Street, and in 2004, Cottage 3 and the warehouse were acquired at 3100 Market Street.

And, now that you know that story, here’s a brief history of our wonderful town. Please stop by and visit for awhile. Bring your children and dogs in too, we love meeting new people and showing off our store. We also love bragging about our beautiful city!