After two years of vacancy, the old Heirloom Botanical location has a new proprietor.

Last month, Jeanne “Buttons” Jackson and Paul Kube took over the yellow Victorian home on the side of Shoulders Hill Road to open October Moon, an antique store, and host Kube’s shed business.

Kube said when they were looking for a North Suffolk location, they thought the house was perfect, because it had been a store in the past.

“We found it more advantageous for us to move in here, because it was set up for retail,” he said.

This is the second October Moon location in Hampton Roads. The other is located on Rodman Avenue in Portsmouth and has been open for about six years.

Kube said the Portsmouth location was pulling a lot of customers from North Suffolk, so he and Jackson agreed a Suffolk store was a good idea.

“I’m really excited about it,” Jackson said.

While the store is not officially completed, it is open for business and offering a variety of items, including furniture, home accessories, jewelry and toys.

The store will hold a grand opening with an open house Dec. 9 and 10 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Through estate sales and connections with other people, Jackson finds antiques to stock the locations.

“We find it all over,” Kube said. “We are always seeking and finding new stuff.”

Jackson said the key to getting good stock is knowing your customers, but with a new store, she is having to slowly gauge what people are looking for.

“I try to buy really cool things, things I would like in my own home, things of value,” she said.

Additionally, Jackson said, she follows current trends of what people want in their homes. If a style that was popular in the ‘50s is coming back, she tries to find those types of pieces.
In addition to finding and selling items, Jackson also offers her services as an interior designer and estate sale coordinator.

Jackson and Kube said they hope to carry linens, as well as outdoor statues, decorations and other items that will tie into the couple’s other business — selling sheds.

A-1 Shed Company, which Kube owns, has had inventory on the field behind Rodman’s Bar-B-Que for the past year, but now, the sheds are placed around the house and are being sold from that location.

Kube said it might not sound like sheds and antiques go together, but he thinks design is important, both inside and outside of the home.

Kube hopes October Moon will fill a need for the North Suffolk community,

“We want to build this into something really positive for the community,” he said. “We want a strong sense of community here.”