Kajal Patel, owner of Amelia’s Home Design in Spartanburg, brings her passion for eclectic style and one-of-a-kind furnishings to the local community. Through her business, Patel helps homeowners create personalized spaces that reflect their individual tastes. Photo courtesy of Kajal Patel.
For eight years, Kajal Patel has been curating beauty in the Spartanburg community as the owner of Amelia’s Home Design.
Patel says that she’s always had an interest in design and creating beautiful spaces. However, design isn’t the only area in which she excels.
In addition to interior design services, Amelia’s offers furniture sourcing for both local designers and homeowners alike. “We have access to over 200 lines,” says Patel. “We’re a hub for the consumer and the designer — for everyone.”
Patel describes her store as “eclectic” — a trait that could be considered its greatest strength. “We can’t be put in a box,” she says. “I have some traditional pieces, I have some transitional pieces, I have some mid-century modern pieces. For being a small store, we really want to always show the full scope of what we can do, and I think that speaks to what interests me as well. I’m very eclectic in my style and what I like. That’s the origin of what I wanted to create here in Spartanburg. I wanted really curated pieces that were quality.”
Every item in Amelia’s is hand-picked by a member of the staff, and everything is small batch. “Anyone can buy from a big box furniture store, but their homes always look the same,” she says. “Our stuff is really about individuality, uniqueness, quality, and curated pieces.”
Being small batch, when you buy a piece from Amelia’s, you know you’re officially the owner of something that’s one-of-a-kind.
“I don’t replace anything when you buy something from the shop,” says Patel. “I don’t go in the back and pull out another one of that item. Everything is curated by me and my team here, and there’s really not a lot of replication.”
However, the magic of Amelia’s is that just about everything they sell can be customized to your individual taste. “It can be overwhelming, so I always tell customers, just come and hang with us,” says Patel. “Everything you see in my store has probably got 50 different options. If you want to change the fabric, if you want to change the finish, if you want to go from fabric to leather, all of those options are available. You may come in and see a chair you love, or you may look at a chair and say, I love that chair, but I cannot use green. We’ll say, okay honey, let’s go back to our design center and I’ll show you all the fabric options you have to choose from — you can use any fabric you want.”
With her flair for design and dedication to ensuring each customer finds their perfect piece, Patel has built up a loyal client base of repeat clientele. “They trust us, and we trust them,” she says.
Originally from England, Patel first came to the Spartanburg area in high school. She fell in love with the area, citing the incredible community surrounding her. “When I talk about my clients and the community, we really do rally. I love that we’re small enough where other business owners in the area really work with each other and promote each other.”
From custom rugs and upholstery to wallpaper, furniture, and beyond, Patel is proud to help her neighbors craft beautiful spaces without having to travel to Greenville or Charlotte. “We’re here for our community, and we provide a lot of services that people don’t realize are available here in Spartanburg.” However, when patrons visit Amelia’s for the first time, Patel says the reaction is often instantaneous.
“I kid you not, probably nine times out of ten, their jaw hits the ground,” she says. “It’s just not what they’re expecting. We look very inconspicuous from the outside.”
To experience the magic for yourself, stop by Amelia’s Home Design at 135 S Blackstock Road in Spartanburg. More information can be found on their website at https://ameliashomedesign.com/.
