Summer Camps
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The Kiddie Kastle Legacy
es in fine nursery, tween and teen hen I was a kid, furniture; custom bedding; accesmy brother and sories; and gifts. The quality furniI had twin beds ture is made of solid wood and is with two built-in shelves meant to be passed down through beneath them. We assigned families over the years. one as the drawer for cards Owner Pam Thelle understands Business and books and the other as the value of what she sells since she was a customer herself at one the drawer for action figNICHOLAS time. She acquired the store on ures. These beds are just one SIEGEL August 1, 2005, when it was locatexample of the furniture my ed on Shelbyville Road, and she parents bought for us at Kidknew how important it would be to continue die Kastle, a store that had also sup- the tradition of helping the Louisville area plied my grandparents with furniture with all of its generational children’s furniused by my own parents when they ture needs: “I bought four sets of furniture here 21 to 26 years ago, and I still have all were children. of it,” she affirms. “So I’m a testament to a Now located at 215 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy. as of January 1, Kiddie Kastle is Louisville’s oldest children’s furniture store and specializA P R I L 1 4 , 2 0 1 6 • V O I C E -T R I B U N E . C O M
good product as a consumer. And then I’m also the owner and I’m going to take care of my customers.”
The store is lined with beds, cribs, chairs
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and other types of colorful children’s furniture. I felt nostalgic walking around even though it’s a brand new location. Originally located at Iroquois Manor, the store has moved a number of times, but the quality of the product has always stayed the same. Additionally, shopping at the store has become something of a tradition for some families. “We’ve been around so long that we’re hearing generational stories, which is wonderful,” Thelle relates. When asked about current trends, Thelle told me that gray nursery furniture is very popular right now, and manufacturers are responding to what newly expecting couples want. For the couples who are less knowledgeable and need help deciding how to decorate their new child’s room, the employees at Kiddie Kastle, many of whom are moms themselves, are always happy to offer advice. “Some girls come in here totally armed,” Thelle describes. “I mean, literally, a note-