LAUNCH: A Furniture Store With Heart

Most old family photos reside in a dusty box under the bed—but that’s certainly not the case at neighborhood resident Christopher Walthall’s furniture store, Aneita Fern. There, among the Stickley furniture, are treasured family pictures. His grandparents’ wedding portrait and a snapshot of his cat are just a couple of the pictures you’ll spot while browsing. “When you buy a photo frame from us, it comes with one of my own family photos,” Walthall says. “That’s because buying a frame from us, is a personal connection with home, hearth, and the history of who we are.” And if you want know more about that history, simply read one of wall plaques that explains the story behind each photo. Walthall’s inspiration for the store came from his grandmother Aneita Fern, for whom the store is named. “My grandmother was a wonderful woman, so I wanted to honor her with this store — although I think if she were alive today, she’d be horribly embarrassed that there was any fuss being made over her, and she’d probably try at every cost to take down anything that had to do with her.” There are small touches of Aneita Fern peppered throughout the store, like the wishing fountain outside. “My grandmother died from ovarian cancer, so we donate all the change in the fountain to cancer research, “ he says. “My grandmother also loved to bake and was always ready to entertain, so we keep cookies and coffee out for our guests.”