Holly and Rick Henemader’s journey spanning from two small towns in Ontario, Canada to the Palm Tree lined streets of Palm Beach is one of passion, reinvention, and a lifelong pursuit of beauty as they see it.
Holly grew up in Oakville, Ontario, while Rick’s childhood was framed by the stone walls that bordered the Grand River and the mid 19th century home he grew up in in Fergus. They met in Toronto where Holly’s interest in antiques was quickly sparked by Rick’s when he suggested they go into an antique store. He pointed out what was then called a hurricane lantern, now known more as a pierced tin lantern, which looked like one that he had seen in a book, and they bought it. They were very young, it was a significant and exciting purchase at the time, and it turned out to be the beginning of a mutual lifelong passion.
Their first store was in an old house in Orillia, Ontario where Holly and Rick lived upstairs and they had a workshop in the back. At that time, refinished Canadian country pine furniture was very popular. They managed to source a few pieces, refinished them and put them up for sale. They started to travel visiting other antique shops in the area, partly to buy and partly to learn. They had several mentors in the pursuit of knowledge and spent countless hours reading and learning about the history of art and antiques. They navigated the market of dealing 18th and 19th century Canadian painted country furniture, oriental rugs, mid century decorative objects, classic antique folk art, quilts and paintings as they continued their learning process.
In 1992, Holly and Rick decided to rent a shop in Palm Beach and move to the US. They opened a small shop on Coconut Row and moved the business into French and European formal antiques. In 1995, the shop moved to its current location at 316 South County Road where they once more adapted their buying to fulfill the demands of their clientele, exploring British colonial pieces, Chinese Export, Moorish, Moroccan, Anglo Indian, British Colonial, William IV, Palm Trees, shells and coral, garden seats, oversized paintings by William Skilling, Reginald Baxter and others, bamboo, rattan, always keeping in mind a vision of a “colonial house in the islands.”
The Henemaders’ passion for antiques is tied directly to their love of antique houses. Their homes over the years in Nova Scotia, Salt Cay, and Alachua have had original painted woodwork, incredible detail, wonderful mantels, all wood and paneled interiors. In 2003, they purchased a British Colonial House, circa 1830 in Salt Cay in the Turks and Caicos. This house needed substantial restoration, but upstairs was the original wood interior, ten foot tray ceilings, and three original windows. It took almost eight years to restore it.
Their interest in antiques and the decorative world has taken them to many places, in particular the Bahamas and the West Indies. They are captivated by the historic beauty of the islands, the history, the vibe, the people, the furnishings and decorative arts. They find the location of a business to be inspirational, and developed that theory in the shop in Palm Beach; “Floribbean”, tropical, Colonial, happy, light hearted and humorous. In the later years, they have added vintage rattan and wicker, developed their own line of handmade woven Chuspata lighting and furniture from Mexico. The inventory is a never ending search for what captures the imagination, the whimsical, the fantasy, the rare and the unusual. Nothing is more heart stopping than a rare piece, found untouched, with deep rich patina that only the passage of time can achieve. It never gets old.
Over the past decade, the Henemaders have been great mentors to F.S. Henemader managers, Michelle Botindari and Alonso Rodriguez, sharing their knowledge and their passion for the world of antiques and decor. Together they have elevated the business by collaborating on the FS Flores Collection Chuspata line, creative direction, curation, website design, and day to day matters.
Michelle is a Florida native with a background in English studies, photography, and visual arts. Michelle is a graduate of Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of Arts and Florida Atlantic University. Alonso is a Peruvian native who moved to West Palm Beach at the age of fifteen, and also attended Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Alonso continued his education at Florida Atlantic University, where he earned a B.A. degree in English and an MFA in Creative Writing, with a concentration in fiction.
Michelle and Alonso got married in 2022 and are proud to carry the F.S. Henemader legacy.
