Best of Orlando 2018 – Home & Shopping
There are treasures to be found all over Central Florida—and here’s your exclusive map to some great finds. Our annual Best of ORL list is based entirely on reader picks in dozens of categories. Plus check out our snapshot profiles of selected winners.
Food and Drink | Home & Shopping | People & Media | Fun & Leisure | Health & Beauty | Kids & Pets
FUN IN STORE
Chic Boutique founders Renee Dietzel (left) and Janet Acker met on Acker’s first day in town at their children’s school and have been inseparable since. Dietzel had a background in teaching and real estate, and Acker had experience in fashion merchandising. “Back when the economy took a turn, we went out for dinner one night, and we were saying, ‘What should we do? We don’t want to sit around crying about the economy,’” Dietzel recalls. So they decided to pool their business experience and open a consignment shop that would be set apart by its current fashions—two years old or newer—and its customer service. The Audubon Park store’s business has boomed since it opened in 2010, and it often receives consignments from out of state. Dietzel and Acker also donate items monthly to a variety of charities. The co-founders, who consider the store their “last career,” also draw people with their fun-loving spirits. “We’re like Lucy and Ethel. We have people coming in here who just want to hang out and laugh,” Dietzel says. — C.H.
FLORIST
1 Apopka Florist
Main Street, Apopka
apopkaflorist.com
2 Bay Hill Florist
Sand Lake Road
bayhillflorist.com
3 Oviedo Florist
Downtown Oviedo
oviedoflorist.com
CONSIGNMENT OR RESALE SHOP
1 Chic Boutique
Audubon Park
chicboutiqueresale.com
2 Once Upon a Child
Six Orlando-area locations
onceuponachild.com
3 Sweet Repeats
Oviedo
sweetrepeats2.com
GIFT SHOP
1 The Primrose Shop
Audubon Park
Instagram: @theprimroseshop
2 Orange Door Gift Boutique
Oviedo
orangedoorgb.com
3 The Pink Chalet
Pop-up shop
facebook.com/thepinkchalet
INTERIOR DESIGNER
1 Morrone Interiors
Downtown Orlando
morroneinteriors.com
2 Anne Rue Interiors
Sanford
annerue.com
3 Ted Maines Interiors
Winter Park
tedmainesinteriors.com
HOME DÉCOR STORE
1 HomeGoods
Multiple Orlando-area locations
homegoods.com
2 Pier 1 Imports
Seven Orlando-area locations
pier1.com
3IKEA
Millenia area, Orlando
ikea.com
HOME BUILDER
1 Z Properties
Winter Park
zpropertiesinc.com
2 Charles Clayton Construction
Winter Park
charlesclayton.com
3 David Weekley Homes
davidweekleyhomes.com
KITCHEN & BATH STORE
1 Bed, Bath & Beyond
Multiple Orlando-area locations
bedbathandbeyond.com
2 IKEA
Millenia area, Orlando
ikea.com
3 Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery
Ivanhoe Village
fergusonshowrooms.com
WOMEN'S CLOTHING STORE
1 Macy's
Five Orlando-area locations
macys.com
2 Chico’s
Five Orlando-area locations
chicos.com
3 Forever 21
Seven Orlando-area locations
forever21.com
Pools by Bradley (POOLS BY BRADLEY)
POOL BUILDER
1 Pools by Bradley
Sanford
poolsbybradley.com
2 Premier Pools of Central Florida
Winter Park
premierpoolsofcentralfl.com
3 Signature Pools
South Orlando
signaturepools.com
BICYCLE SHOP
1 Orange Cycle
College Park
orangecycleorlando.com
2 David’s World Cycle
Seven Orlando-area locations
davidsworld.com
3 Kyle’s Bike Shop
Milk District
kylesbikeshop.net
CAR DEALER
1 Fields Auto Group
Multiple Orlando-area locations
fieldsauto.com
2 Lexus of Orlando
Winter Park
lexusoforlando.com
3 Massey Cadillac
North John Young Parkway
Orlando
masseycadillacnorth.com
PLACE FOR ANTIQUES
1 Adjectives Market
Three Orlando-area locations
adjmkt.com
2 Renninger’s Flea Market & Antique Center
Highway 441, Mount Dora
renningers.net
3 Park & 2nd
Downtown Sanford
parkand2nd.com
John Craig Clothier (ROBERTO GONZALEZ)
Style & Polish
Craig DeLongy recalls the black-and-white saddle shoes his mother made him wear on his first day of high school and the relentless teasing that ensued. Fast forward to today and DeLongy, owner of John Craig Clothier, has recently bought an almost identical pair of shoes to wear on the golf course. “My wife asked me why I always have to wear a sport coat when we go anywhere. That’s just who I am,” he says. “I’m always dressed.” The 67-year-old entrepreneur’s passion for polish echoes his parents’ belief in the power of presentation (they never allowed DeLongy to own a pair of jeans). They weren’t wealthy but his mother topped every outfit with a hat, and his father “always dressed like a gentleman.” DeLongy remembers the first time his mother took him to a fine clothing store. “She bought me a beautiful camel cashmere overcoat that I still have today,’’ he says. “I can’t fit in it but I still have it.” DeLongy opened the flagship John Craig store on Park Avenue in Winter Park in 1996, now one of six statewide. “It’s rewarding to have a wife bring in her husband and watch the transformation,’’ he says. — M.S.
MEN’S CLOTHING STORE
1 John Craig Clothier
Park Avenue, Winter Park
johncraigclothier.com
2 Jos. A. Bank
Five Orlando-area locations
josbank.com
3 Men’s Wearhouse
Seven Orlando-area locations
menswearhouse.com
MALL
1 The Mall at Millenia
Conroy Road
mallatmillenia.com
2 Altamonte Mall
Altamonte Springs
altamontemall.com
3 The Florida Mall
South Orange Blossom Trail
simon.com
JEWELER
1 Bay Hill Jewelers
Orlando and Winter Park
bayhilljewelers.com
2 Gems of the Jungle Jeweler
Lake Mary
gemsofthejunglejewelers.com
3 Victoria Jewelers
Baldwin Park
victoriajewelers.net
