Opening Soon: Bella-Roba Bringing Beautiful Things to Downtown Wheaton

Very soon shoppers looking for “beautiful things” will have a new boutique in Wheaton to frequent for all things lovely.

Bella-Roba, Italian for beautiful things, is expected to open in mid-May at 104 N. Hale St.

“It’s kind of like a high style bazaar with an eclectic mix of clothing, jewelry, antiques, décor and found items,” said owner Stacy Jansen.

Jansen went to school for design and has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. She didn’t want to work in the interior design field and began to make jewelry. People liked her jewelry and began to encourage her to open a store.

She has been making jewelry and selling it at fine art fairs for a while and about four or five months after she started her business she began to seriously consider opening a store. She started the process of scouting a location and taking steps into small business ownership last fall.

The build out of the location is still underway and she said she is restoring the original maple floors, tin ceiling and brick walls. The boutique will have an old-world French feel with whitewashed walls and chandeliers lighting the shop.

In addition to creating jewelry, Jansen also creates paintings, buys furniture, which she repurposes, reupholsters or re-paints. She enjoys searching antique stores for unique items, some she updates, and other items she leaves as is. She will also offer custom-designed furniture and has a furniture maker she is working with who crafts custom pieces.

“I’ve always liked finding unique items you didn’t see everywhere else,” she said.

In addition to scouring the area for unique items, she is also searching for distinctive clothing lines. As an example, she said she’s found a cashmere line that is beautiful and which she will feature at her shop.

The boutique will offer mid-to-upscale items.

Jansen, who is from North Barrington, is in the process of searching for a home in Wheaton. She chose Wheaton because she wanted to be somewhere centrally located with a historic feel, she said.

A best-case scenario would be for the business to open in time for Mother’s Day, but Jansen expects the opening to happen in mid-May.

“I expect it to be fantastic,” she said. “I really think [Bella-Roba] will end up being one of the big anchor stores in Wheaton that will draw shoppers from all around the Chicago area.”

Bella-Roba will be located at 104 N. Hale St. in Wheaton. Learn more about the boutique online or on Facebook.