Former owner of Celia’s Gifts and More returning to take over District Designs in same building

QUINCY — Since selling her business, Celia’s Gifts and More, at 117 N. Fourth in 2013 and spending half of her time in Florida, Celia Neff has learned she needs to stay busy.

“I can’t sit around,” she said. “I wanted the sunshine. I wanted to relax, but I found myself still getting into things. I had places there, shops and space, so I could sell goods from there.”

Sue Schwartz, who has operated District Designs in the same building where Neff ran her business, recently announced plans to retire on Dec. 1. Neff has decided to return to Quincy full-time and take over District Designs.

Celia’s Gifts and More offered new furniture, wall hangings and home décor. “Now there’s going to be a mixture of that,” Neff said.

Neff describes District Designs as a business that offers upcycled boho and mid-century modern furniture, along with home goods, home décor, children’s clothing, vintage clothing and jewelry. Neff plans to keep most of the same vendors while also bringing in Montebello Gardens, a florist from Hamilton, and her own business from Carthage.

District Designs also offers more than 2,500 square feet of space with different sizes available to rent by local vendors at $1.50 per square foot. The store will be open for only one or two weekends per month, depending on events in The District. The first weekend for vendors is Oct. 17-19. When the store is open, the hours will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

“Vendors will work their area to sell their products,” Neff said. “They set up their displays however they wish to show them best. if you’ve got a product and you need somewhere to sell it, this would be a place to do so.

“A lot of people out there are making things themselves and trying to sell them online, which is great. But some people want to have a brick-and-mortar store to show their stuff physically. This is kind of the place where they can do it.”

Neff, a Carthage native, has split her time between Florida and Quincy since quitting her business and selling the building to Bret Austin — who now will lease space on the first floor to her.

Neff, 67, recently learned of Schwartz’s impending retirement, and she also wants to be in Quincy more often to visit with her granddaughter, who now is a high school student.

“She won’t be here much longer, but I want to spend as much time as I can with her,” Neff said. “I knew I’d be spending more time in Quincy, and knowing me, I have to have something to do. When Sue mentioned she was retiring, well, I just love that building. I took it from being absolutely nothing to being a beautiful building, and I just love the downtown area.”