By Kristin Boza
The former church/school at 2501 W. 103rd St. now has new life as Haven 1890.
Described as a “sanctuary for home décor and more,” Haven 1890 is co-owned by friends and area residents Laura Hayes and Amy Pilafas and carries home décor, gifts, accessories, vintage items, kid and baby items, party supplies, and more
“We wanted to build a place that customers would love to visit again and again,” said Hayes. “Our products are a mix of new and vintage items, and we feature a lot of items that are handmade by local artisans.”
Long-time friends, Hayes and Pilafas always dreamed about opening a shop. Pilafas, an artist and talented furniture refinisher with a love of all things vintage, and Hayes, owner and creator of Skippagosh party supplies, realized they could achieve their dream and work together.
“We sell what we want to buy,” Hayes said. “Beverly has a lot of wonderful shops, but we were often traveling outside the area to buy things we couldn’t find here. Now, we’re excited to bring them to Beverly at Haven 1890.”
When brainstorming the shop’s name, they wanted to incorporate the feelings of home and a nod to the area’s history. “Haven felt like the perfect name for a store in a former church sanctuary, and we liked that it sounds like somewhere comfortable and welcoming. 1890 is a reference to the year Beverly was incorporated into Chicago,” Hayes said. “When we heard the church was available, we knew it would be the perfect space to create a beautiful store in a historic setting.”
Hayes lives in Beverly/Morgan Park with her husband and two children; Pilafas lives in Mount Greenwood with her husband and daughter. “We both wanted to build a business in the area we love,” Hayes said.
Haven 1890 is open Tues. through Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stop in during the Hers & His shopping event on Thurs., Dec. 9 and Thurs., Dec. 16, and watch their Instagram @haven_1890 for more special shopping events and workshops coming up soon.
