While some say Marshall is coming into its own with businesses such as Red Truck Bakery and The Whole Ox claiming real estate on the main strip of this quaint downtown, Daniel J. Moore says it is more of a renaissance.
Moore, the owner of Marshall’s newest store, Domestic Aspirations, has done his homework on the town to which he and his partner moved just over a year ago. Speak with him about the town’s history as a thriving market and he’ll point out the stores that used to draw in patrons prior to the laying of I-66. Ask about the building Domestic Aspirations calls home and he’ll bring you through an architectural history of the 19th-century building with add-ons that have taken place up until the 1970s.
At 8393 W. Main St., Domestic Aspirations sits at the front of the building and acts not only as a store where shoppers can peruse a mix of handcrafted boxes, finely upholstered furniture, local artwork, grand accessories with international flair and designer decor and lighting accoutrements but also as a showcase to Moore’s design business, Daniel J. Moore Design, and one of three businesses he runs out of the building.
With a background in both interior design and hospitality, Moore meshes both worlds with his businesses. Domestic Aspirations, which he solely owns, mixes a shopping experience with a showroom for his design clients while the other two businesses, which he co-owns with Dianna Campagna, incorporate his designs and hospitality experience.
The Rooms Up There is the boutique inn on the upper level of the building with three guest rooms and a common room all appointed in furniture and wares that can be purchased through Moore. Everything from the artwork on the wall and the furniture covered in luxury linens to the bath products is for sale in each of the rooms. The Rooms Up There is a space where urban dwellers can escape for a weekend in the countryside or a convenient stay over if they’ve booked an event at The Drawing Room, the third business of Moore’s, in the back lower level of the building.
The Drawing Room takes up the spread of the back of the building, including a large attached greenhouse with bar that Moore transformed into a delightful entertaining space that holds up to 50 guests. The greenhouse and adjacent ballroom that holds up to 75 guests, with accompanying caterer space, also showcase Moore’s designs and incorporate event rental space packages with opportunities for a stay at The Rooms Up There.
As Moore settles into his new hometown and businesses, he plans on bringing more into the space as well—the building is soon to get a separately owned fourth business, Hunt Country Kitchen & Bath Studio, opening in the main level—and work on a rotating schedule of seasonal pieces for the store.
