FACES of Nashville: Walton Estes

Harpeth Gallery has long been one of our favorite stops for gifts. And in the retail world, this jewel box of a shop, with owner Walton Estes leading the way, holds its own against a sea of national competitors, thanks to an unswerving commitment to service and quality, not to mention Walton’s keen eye for detail. We caught up with her recently at the shop, and we’re thrilled to have her join us today as a FACE of Nashville!

Where did you grow up? If not Nashville, what brought you here?
I was born and raised in Nashville. There is no where else on earth I would rather live.

How did you decide to leave the world of law and your career as a paralegal to become a shop owner? And why Harpeth Gallery?
My legal job was moved to New York and the Harpeth Gallery opportunity came up shortly thereafter.

What inspires your buying for the store?
I know what I like and I think I have a good sense of what my customers like.

Is it a challenge to run a small boutique gift shop with other larger, national stores nearby at the Hill Center and Mall at Green Hills? What do you do to differentiate and keep clients coming back?
It is a challenge to run a shop period! I am blessed with many loyal customers and a terrific sales team. Our attention to personal service is first and foremost. Because we are a small shop, we can easily go the extra mile for any customer at anytime in any way they need assistance.

Favorite wedding gift suggestion? Favorite suggestion for hostess gift?
Our Oval Silver Tray with Wood Well that also doubles as a cheese board for weddings. For a hostess gift, our handmade pasta bowl with the saying “May our house always be too small to hold all of our friends.”

What’s your favorite thing to do with out of town guests in Nashville?
imogene + willie They treat everyone like a celebrity! You get to go home with custom-fitting jeans from Nashville, and it is a fascinating place full of tasteful merchandise and memorabilia housed in an old filling station in an old, hip neighborhood. 

Favorite restaurant(s)? Why?
Bricktops. Joe Ledbetter gave me my very first job there as a Hostess when I was a Sophomore in high school. It had just opened as Houston’s and was the place to go. Now as Bricktops it is a notch above. Great atmosphere, great food, impeccable service consistently for many, many years. I could look at the monkeys on the wall all day long!

What do you love most about living in Nashville?
Nothing beats having my parents, brother and sister-in-law, niece and nephews, aunts and uncles, and most of my cousins all right here in Nashville. How lucky am I?

Favorite vacation spot?
Kiawah Island, South Carolina

How do you unwind/recharge your battery?
15 minutes on Pinterest

Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Be pretty if you can, be witty if you must, but be agreeable if it kills you.

Favorite thing you’re looking forward to in the coming year?

A better economy and even more business

Any fashion must-haves for spring?
A good horn cuff or long horn link necklace

Any guilty pleasures or indulgences/luxuries you treat yourself to?
Pedicures

What books are on your beside table or Kindle?
The Paris Wife and Bowling Avenue

What are (3) things you can’t live without (excluding God, Family and Friends)

• my cats, Finnegan and Gucci
• fresh jalapeños
• walks in my neighborhood