Hello, Janesville - The Story behind Styled Reverie

The story behind Styled Reverie and the little brown house on Jackson Street

If you’ve wondered what’s happening inside the little brown house at 123 N. Jackson Street, allow me to introduce myself.

I’m Kimberly, the woman behind Styled Reverie. There are clothes in here. There are also chandeliers, swan chairs, probably some music playing a little louder than necessary, and quite a few ideas.

This house makes a lot more sense once you know how I got here.

“Nobody wants this stuff”

My husband Josh’s job has moved us to different places over the years. When we moved to Wisconsin from Illinois, I left behind friends and people I could count on for help. Our youngest was five, and between our conflicting schedules and the difficulty of traveling, I needed to find work that fit our family.

I tried a few part-time jobs, but eventually began considering working for myself.

I was painting furniture in my garage—pieces I found on the side of the road or at Goodwill—when a friend suggested I try selling some of it.

My response? “Nobody wants this stuff.”

Thankfully, she saw something I didn’t yet.

I loved taking something someone else had overlooked and seeing what it could become. Believing someone would actually pay for my work took a little longer. Putting it out into the world was scary. Talking about it was harder still. And pointing a camera at myself was absolutely outside my comfort zone.

But I kept going. Sometimes nervously. Sometimes with no idea what came next.

From my garage, I moved into a booth in a store in Oconomowoc. Eventually, I rented a workshop inside that same store. Rubbish Restyled grew one step at a time, with me learning along the way.

Pieces I painted were being shipped across the country. Quite a few went to Texas and New York. Finding someone willing to deliver furniture into downtown New York? That was an education all its own. But somehow, I found a way.

For furniture I was convinced nobody wanted, it certainly got around.

It’s funny where something you start in your garage can take you. I was learning about far more than paint. Each new challenge gave me a little more confidence that I could figure out the next one, too.

From Lake Mills to Edgerton

Then I opened my own storefront in Lake Mills during the pandemic! The front held furniture and home decor; the back held creative classes. I spent four years there, making things and helping other people discover that they could, too.

A couple of sweaters also found their way into the shop. Apparently, my childhood dream of becoming a fashion designer hadn’t forgotten about me.

In December 2022, I had a stroke. It changed my perspective and brought the need to work closer to home into focus. I opened in Edgerton, and over time, clothing became a bigger part of the business. and ultimately closed the Lake Mills location. 

Why clothing

There was another reason clothing began taking up more space in my heart and in the shop.

Over the years, I had gained a significant amount of weight. As an artist finding cute, colorful clothing that felt like me was difficult. I didn’t want a wardrobe that made me feel invisible or limited to a narrow idea of what was available in my size. I wanted clothing with personality, pieces that were fun, expressive, and made me feel good.

That experience became a big part of the push to bring more clothing into the business. I wanted to create the kind of shopping experience I had been looking for- a place where women could find beautiful, colorful clothing in a range of sizes and feel encouraged to enjoy getting dressed.

Since then, I’ve lost about 40 pounds. My body has changed, but what I believe about getting dressed hasn’t: we deserve to dress with joy at every size and every stage, not wait for a future version of ourselves to feel worthy of beautiful things.

The conversations I have with women remind me how many of us share those feelings. Getting dressed can bring up a surprising amount of emotion. Our bodies change. Our lives change. Something we once loved wearing suddenly doesn’t seem to fit the person we are anymore. I understand that feeling.

I’ve also experienced Bell’s palsy, and I know what it’s like to look in the mirror and see something you weren’t prepared for. Showing up publicly hasn’t always felt easy. But I’ve become much less willing to put my life on hold until I feel perfectly comfortable being seen.

That belief is part of what I bring to Styled Reverie: you deserve to get dressed, enjoy yourself, and participate in your life in the body you have today.

An artist’s eye

Creativity has helped me find my way through a lot of those changes. I travel and attend art retreats, spending time with talented people who remind me how much there is to try, learn, and explore.

Those experiences influence what I bring into the boutique, too. So much of my clothing inspiration and the unique things I discover come from those travels. Color, texture, an unexpected combination my artist’s eye is still very much at work when I’m choosing what goes on the racks.

Apparently, I can turn an art retreat into a shopping expedition. We all have our gifts.

The little brown house

Earlier this year, I closed my Edgerton storefront and moved into a small studio in Milton. It gave me room to reconsider what I wanted to build.

I missed having space for people to gather. The classes. The conversations that continued long after the project was finished. The feeling of women settling in and getting comfortable with one another.

For about a year, I’d been dreaming about a much larger historic property we affectionately called “Memorial House.” Josh and I talked through the possibilities viewed the property a few times and daydreamed a lot, but the renovation was more than we were ready to take on. I had to give that particular dream a little breathing room.

Then a photo of a fireplace room appeared in my feed.

Well. That got my attention.

The little brown house had room for the things I kept coming back to: clothing, creativity, conversation, and a place to bring them together. The fireplace room is still my favorite. Seeing women sit there and linger after our opening felt like watching an idea finally become real.

Today, Styled Reverie brings together artistic statement pieces and approachable everyday clothing, with missy and plus sizes included throughout the boutique. I love helping a woman try something she wouldn’t have picked up herself and giving herself permission and room to decide what she thinks.

The Reverie Room holds another part of my heart. It’s where we gather for classes, workshops, and shared experiences. I know how much can come from sitting around a table with creative, encouraging people. Those retreats have given that to me, and I want to make room for it here.

I also remember what it feels like to be somewhere new, without your people nearby. Come with a friend or arrive knowing no one. I want there to be a place for you at the table.

Over the years, I’ve written for The Turquoise Iris Journal and shared my experiences on podcasts. Writing, creating, and encouraging women have been part of this story all along. You’ll find those pieces of me here, too.

I’m still dreaming big. I’m also learning to appreciate being right here, in a house where so many parts of my life finally get to belong together.

So, hello, Janesville. I’m happy to be here.

There’s plenty of parking around the house and even behind the house, and you can come right through the back door. Come shop, look around, or introduce yourself.

If the music’s up, you’re in the right place.

— Kimberly 

 Styled Reverie™                                                                                                                                                        123 N. Jackson Street, Janesville