Fairfield Family Brings 'Funky' Style To New Shop

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Lib DeNure likes to keep her work in the family. For starters, she named her new Fairfield shop Hazel Daze Boutique after her grandmother. And DeNure’s children, Amelia and Peter Aspinwall, help man the store and learn what has become the new family trade.

“Hopefully, this is something that I can pass on,” DeNure says. “There’s something to be said for family businesses.”

Hazel Daze Boutique opened earlier this month on Fairfield’s Post Road. The small shop carries what DeNure describes as “funky, eclectic home décor and accessories.”  

“There’s nowhere else in Fairfield that has this style,” she says.

Hazel Daze features many recycled products. For example, you can find bowls made from old bicycle chains, clocks and mirrors made from repurposed records and pencil holders cobbled together from used typewriter keys. The store also leans toward handmade items, such as painted glassware and tea sets.

Then there’s the photography section, exclusive to the store. Amelia, Peter and his girlfriend Jessica Halmeck, all art students, sell their own prints in the boutique. They also co-run the business with their mother.

“She pushes us really hard. It’s inspiring to see someone who works non-stop,” Peter says. “She never stops working.”

DeNure’s work ethic is evident in how quickly she put the idea together. An online retailer as well, she said she decided to open a brick-and-mortar store while riding back from a trade show featuring many of the items she carries now.

That was back in February, just after her spot’s former tenant, the Casablanca hookah lounge, moved out. Three months later, she had a lease. And just more than a month after that, the ribbon was cut for the grand opening.

The store caters to families as well. DeNure says she hopes the modest prices will attract families about to send kids off to college next fall. Most of Hazel Daze’s items sell for less than $50.

“That was my goal, to make it affordable,” DeNure says. “You have to make money, but I’m trying to make it a reasonably priced place.”

Hazel Daze Boutique is located at 86 Post Road in Fairfield. You can find the store’s hours and contact information at the boutique’s Facebook page.

Click here to follow Daily Voice Fairfield and receive free news updates.