By Jessica Dillon
After weather-related delays caused by snow and ice, the 9th House officially opened in Uptown Martinsville with a ribbon-cutting hosted by the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce.
Located at 15 E. Church St., just below Uptown Pinball and above The Ground Floor, the boutique offers curated home goods, clothing, and apothecary-style items designed to bring a sense of calm into the home.
“It is a goods and apothecary. We’ve got home accents, books, herbs and salts, and clothing. Just a nice little place for people to come and hang out and find good things,” owner Kathy Kitzmiller said of the business that offers a space for expansion, intention, and meaning.
“We have lots of books, we’ve got pillows, we’ve got things for mom, we’ve got things for people who practice, we’ve got cookbooks, we’ve got lots of stuff for your house, pillows, everything is like a luxury brand, and then there’s lots of clothing in the clothing room so make sure you check out each individual room because those are pretty cool too.”
Kitzmiller said the apothecary concept draws from a long tradition.
“Apothecaries are really old school. They are a place where you can go and get yourself herbs, salves, salts, anything for your body that maybe is more homeopathic than from the store, like at Night Quilt. You can come here and get lavender, chamomile,” and other goodies.
She said plans are already in place to manage both The 9th House and Be Wiched Diner, her restaurant located down the street.
“My husband is going to be tag-teaming with me, and I have my right hand here. She’ll be managing with me on the weekends, and then I’ll be here pretty much every day. This is going to be like our home space. There are offices in the back and stuff, and there’s a nice little room that we can set up so our kids can homeschool here. And it’s only one block down, so it works.”
Kitzmiller said the boutique is meant to serve local shoppers who might otherwise travel out of town.
“I would say it’s for the seeker at home. So instead of traveling to places like Greensboro and Roanoke, you can stay here in Uptown and come check it out. And then while you’re here, check out all the other boutiques here because there are a lot of us.”
“I look forward to what this store here is going to bring, the other stores have been a success, and I’m just appreciative to have them if they have accomplices,” Kitzmiller said. “We’re going to be 11 to 5, and currently we’re going to be every day until we figure out what people like.”
