When Coni Marotz was the vice president of the rug division for Madison-based Sergenian’s Floor Coverings, she started doing interior design on the side for friends and clients. She quickly noticed that people kept telling her the same thing: They felt the area was lacking in unique home furnishings stores. They were all either cookie-cutter or big-box stores.
“I had always been a person who liked to find unique, one-of-a-kind things, and had a lot of sources of places I would go. I just thought, ‘I need to have my own store.’ I was also at a point where I’d run businesses for other people, and I never did for myself, and I felt it was time to try,” says Marotz.
In 2008, Marotz opened Iconi Interiors on West Washington Avenue, showcasing new, vintage and reupholstered furnishings she and her husband redid themselves. She also sourced retro barware, jewelry, small décor items, lighting and more antique vendors and other vintage markets. The inviting shop was merchandised like a cool lounge.
Up until last year, Iconi Interiors occupied two side-by-side storefronts. But in 2019, she acquired more square footage in the 540 W. Washington Ave. store, so now all her merchandise is under one roof, so to speak.
The gorgeously outfitted shop has brand-new custom furnishings (from a Virginia-based company); bespoke lampshades; new and vintage lighting; décor pieces; small gift items; high-end consignment; and, of course, rugs.
Her ever-evolving stock makes for an intriguing and lounge-like emporium that attracts an array of locals — from professionals to students — with an eye for charisma. And if you’re looking for a little help in terms of sprucing up spaces, you can also tap Marotz for her interior design services.
“People remark that they’ve never been in a store like this, where it’s a mix and it’s put together in an eclectic manner,” says Marotz. “From the kind of light bulbs we use in the spotlights to the music we play to the diverse amount of furniture and [various] price points—we’re different than most furniture stores. It’s more of an experience here.”
Iconi Interiors, 534 & 540 W. Washington Ave., (608) 441-0077, iconiinteriors.com
This article originally ran in the 2018 spring/summer issue of Lakeshore Living magazine, a Nei-Turner Media Group-owned publication.
