Pictures: What's in store in La Plata

House Boutique

Sloane Brown, Baltimore Sun

You'll find a charming collection of antiques, vintage and reproduction furniture and pieces here, along with a wide assortment of gifts and home goods. Owner Audra Gillis loves featuring unique things, as well as creations by local artists. She's also known for her seasonal fall and Christmas items. A distressed decorative frame embellished with a vintage metal and pearl brooch ($33.75) and a bouquet of 13-inch-long faux calla lilies ($14.35) nestle in a 21-by-9½-inch vintage reproduction metal vanity tray ($48.50). Next to it is a 17½-by-12-inch Williamsburg Collection throw pillow ($36.85) and several rolled up 2-by-3-foot hand-woven cotton rugs ($29.50 each). It all rests on one of two available 50-by-36-by-24-inch vintage rattan settees with paisley seat cushion ($475 each). House Boutique is at 6 St. Mary's Ave., Suite 100-A, La Plata. Call 301-392-5901 or check it out on FaceBook.

See more galleries

Ten years after a tornado cut a swath through the Charles County seat, the downtown area of La Plata now shines with new structures and retail life. You'll find more evidence of the area's creativity inside the shops there. It's reflected in the work of many local artisans, and the imaginative ways shop owners have combined a wide range of home decor and gifts for sale. - Sloane Brown, Special to The Baltimore Sun