30 Years of Kate & Company

Spring Lake’s much-loved and long-tenured Kate & Company has recently changed locations, trading spaces with its neighbor business, Thunder Road Books.

The home design and gift boutique—run by mother-daughter duo Kate Reed and Kacey Roy— reopened in late February in a fresh new space at 1108 Third Ave. in Spring Lake, steps away from the original location at the corner of Third and Passaic avenues.

The move arrives serendipitously just as the store marks 30 years in business in downtown Spring Lake.

Trading Spaces

Kacey and Kate had been contemplating a move when the nearby bookstore found themselves growing and in need of more space.

“The decision to move was something we chatted about for a few years,” says Kacey. “We were ready to make a change and go into a smaller space, and not just any space, but the right space. It had to be just right or we wouldn’t have moved, so when this opportunity came up it was exactly what we were hoping for.”

The process of moving after three decades was eased, knowing the folks who would be taking over the old store.

“It couldn’t have come together better, and swapping shops with Basil Iwanyk, and Thunder Road, it feels like when you sell your family home to a great family. Fun fact— we took over our space in 1995 from a bookstore, so, needless to say, there are a lot of full circle moments happening.” 

A Fresh Start

Kacey says the move has been a positive change that has presented new opportunities for the business.

“The moving process was epic 30 years and 2,500-ish square feet to sort through, pack up, organize and move. No small feat, but with a few slight bumps we moved and grooved with ease.”

Lending themselves to the new space presented an opportunity to move in a new direction and lean fully into the boutique vibe with a coastal aesthetic and a good mix of modern and vintage.

“We’re embracing a clean slate and that allows us to buy differently. I have a really good feeling it will be well received by our customers,” Kasey says.

In Good “Company”

After years of being a stay-at-home mom and legal secretary, “my mom basically started the brick-and-mortar boutique furniture shops on a wing and a prayer,” says Kacey.

Kate & Company first opened its doors Sept. 21, 1995, at a time when big-box furniture sellers reigned and boutique furniture stores were a rare find.

The business flourished under the ingenuity and passion of its namesake.

“People have always adored my mom. She’s such a love. She has always had a phenomenal eye for design. She’s creative and has a great mind for business,” says Kacey.

The young business found its footing with the partnership of Kacey’s uncles Vincent Motzel and the late Ariel Sans, interior designers who had connections in the furniture business. Marc Reed, Kacey’s dad, also is a silent partner. Kacey became a partner in 2020.

Kacey says her husband Justin is an invaluable asset to the store along with their sons Ben, 20, and Luke, 18, who are always helping out when they are home from college.

“This is truly a family-owned business,” says Kacey. “It’s all hands on deck. We do everything ourselves, soup to nuts.”

30 Years of History

The storefront opened just blocks away from where Kate and Marc raised their three kids in their home on Atlantic and Second avenues.

“Growing up, everything revolved around that corner shop,” says Kacey.

At the time it opened, Kacey, the second born in her family and an alum of St. Catharine and St. Rose schools, had just started college. In the years following, she graduated in 1999, met her husband the following year, they married in Spring Lake in 2001 and began raising their own family in Spring Lake Heights, where they have lived for 18 years.

Kacey became a partner in Kate and Company three weeks before the COVID pandemic hit. While the store remained closed, Kacey started to look for new ways to connect with the community.

“I started making videos for our Instagram and suddenly we started drumming up new business and interest. By the time we opened again, we had a whole different clientele.”

After decades of working together, Kate and Kacey remain grateful for the business they have built with the support of each other, their family and the community. They are especially thankful for their recently retired employee, Renee Sterner, who was there from day one.

“Our passion is to bring an amazing space to our clients and to Spring Lake, the epicenter of our world. My mom has a vision like no other. She brought something to the community that was amazing and has brought joy to our family and our clients.

“I’m more of a planner, and my mom is more of a ‘wing it’ type person. That’s why we work so well together. I can’t believe after 30 years we are still able to do this. And we still love it,” says Kacey.

Kate & Company is open seven days a week for most of the year, except for a winter break from Christmas through January. Store hours are Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m.

BY KERRY SERZAN