Eccentric furniture store Miss Pixies moving to Adams Morgan
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — The beloved vintage furniture store Miss Pixies Furnishings and Whatnot is closing it’s doors on 14th Street after 16 years.
Miss Pixies plans on reopening with a smaller endeavor by April 2 in Adams Morgan, but the new store may bring some unexpected changes to customers.
The current location at 1626 14th St. in Northwest D.C. will close on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The store looks like a shadow of what it once was. The once crowded rows of furniture, antiques, knick-knacks, and local artwork have thinned out as the business holds a sale in hopes of selling everything – even the iconic sales counter – to start fresh in the new location.
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The store’s gregarious owner, Pixie Windsor, is 64. She has anticipated the move for more than a year now as she looks to retire within the next few years.
“I think I just need the slower pace for my lifestyle right now. I’ll probably just work a couple more years and then retire, but it’s been fantastic,” Windsor said.
Windsor described her discovery of the space as kismet. She knew she wanted to downsize, as the skyrocketing rent that came with a prime space on 14th Street became an increasing burden. All it took was a call from a friend to introduce her to 1830 Columbia Rd. in the heart of Adams Morgan’s commercial district, and she had found the next stop for Miss Pixies.
Windsor’s plan isn’t so much of a move as it is a return.
“I started out in Adams Morgan,” Windsor said. “I had two spaces there. That’s where I had my very first shop and it’s also my neighborhood. It’s where I grew up. I’ll be five doors down from my home now. I had always kind of planned to come back there.”
The charming townhouse’s marble exterior exudes elegance, yet the building’s true character comes from its rustic interior that showcases exposed brick walls and polished dark wood floors.
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The building was previously owned by 1830 Vintage whose owners decided to close in 2023, citing COVID-related difficulties. The space is only a quarter of the previous store’s size, which means Miss Pixies won’t carry as much merchandise, but Windsor and her staff are confident in their ability to elevate the store’s offerings.
“I think over 25 years I’ve kind of learned to be able to spot good deals when I see them and with a slower pace at work, I think I can kind of narrow that down more,” Windsor said. “Even though the space is small, we have storage, so we can keep replenishing that space.”
Ashton Flanagan, 22, has worked at Miss Pixies for a year and a half and plans to continue working at the Columbia Road location. He says he will miss working on 14th Street, but sees the promise of the new space.
“She’ll be able to cherry-pick at the auctions and I know that is something she loves to do. And to have the smaller space, she doesn’t have to have as much, so she can just get what she really likes,” Flanagan said.
Windsor has a natural charisma where she can make any customer feel like a regular – which has no doubt assisted in creating the store’s cult following. The business has an especially prominent profile on Instagram with 33,000 followers, which Windsor says grew exponentially during the pandemic and helped their business stay afloat during the hard times.
Miss Pixies has a steady flow of customers that stemmed from this local popularity. On a busy day, Windsor said the store could attract around 60 to 70 customers milling through it’s 4,000 square foot location. But the new location is prompting some changes that will create a different atmosphere.
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In an email, Windsor said that the 1830 Columbia Rd. location will be open by appointment only when it first opens. The store’s business model faces a great shift, as the prime focus of this next chapter will be prioritizing the Instagram account. Windsor has yet to find a successor to take over Miss Pixies after her retirement.
“I would like to leave it to someone else, but nobody wants to work this hard for this little money,” Windsor said.
Windsor hopes she can continue business on Instagram for the next few years while scaling back her involvement with the in-person operation before retiring.
While the future of Miss Pixies is up in the air, the store’s loyal clientele is bound to follow the business to their new home in the vibrant Adams Morgan neighborhood.
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