Melanie Wyckoff loves to spend time in toy stores. Even when her children are ready to leave, she wants to stay.

So when opening a children’s boutique she put a focus on offering items that speak to her — toys she selects for her grandchildren and clothes that her daughter wears, but also decorative items that she has in her own home. 

“When I created the store I wanted a place for all my favorite things,” she said. “I wanted toys and books that spark imagination and creative learning. I wanted clothes that are made of sustainable materials like organic cotton and bamboo.”

Her vision is embodied in Lyon and Pearle, a children and family clothing, toy and gift boutique on Main Street in Kalispell. 

Lyon and Pearle is named for Wyckoff’s oldest grandchild and her youngest child, respectively. She and her husband, Casey, have five children and five grandchildren — and five dogs, she likes to add. 

Melanie, along with her daughter, Grace, who manages the store and daughter-in-law, Jessica, have worked with the rest of the family to create the shop. They opened first with a location in Vancouver, Washington, but because the family lives in the Flathead Valley, they followed it up by opening the Kalispell location last July. 

“This is such a beautiful space,” Wyckoff says gesturing around the room with high decorative ceilings and natural light flooding into the downtown shop. “I love Kalispell. It was the most fun that we were able to open a store here and create this cozy space.”

At the back of the shop is Hank’s Apothecary, featuring herbal remedies, skincare products, cleaning products, teas and candles, among other products that complement the selections in the rest of the store. 

Once or twice per month the store hosts story hour where Wyckoff pulls books off the shelf to share with youngsters and their family members. She follows up with music and craft time. Wyckoff envisions the store as having the potential to host evening gatherings like baby showers. 

“I’ve met so many friends and created relationships with people when they come in,” she said. “It’s about the relationships that we have with people.” 

The store is a mix of locally made items and those curated from around the world. 

Small decorative bags made in Bigfork sit alongside cookbooks, notebooks and stationary sets. Near the middle of the store, a large table displays the Danish Maileg mice characters, furniture and houses. 

While the store is geared toward children with its toys and clothes, many of the home decor items would look great in rooms beyond a child’s bedroom. On a shelf near the entrance sits a handmade wooden goose lamp, which comes from Little Lights in Brooklyn, New York. Nearby a soft cotton Lorena Canals rug in a muted yellow adds whimsy to the window display. 

“People will come in and say, ‘I wish I had a child or grandchild to shop for,’” Wyckoff said. “But there’s so much more here.” 

There’s a section dedicated to dress-up clothing and the birthday party corner with wrapping paper, invitations and candles. And there are wooden boats, children’s dinner plates and teddy bear-shaped rattles. 

The shop features clothes selected from brands made around the world. Holding up one pink and blue dress made by Pink Chicken, Wycokoff points out the quality of the construction and fabric. 

“I look for clothes that have beautiful style and detail,” she said. “Some of the clothes are hand stitched and embroidered.”

Often customers will find toys in the store they’ve only been able to purchase online, or books they haven’t seen since their own childhood, or an unfamiliar brand of clothing. That was the dream all along for Wyckoff after keeping a list of what she’d include in her shop. 

“I’m very intentional in what I select and curate for the store,” she said. “I’m looking for what’s unique and different.” 

Lyon & Pearle is located at 128 South Main, Kalispell. The store is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 406-260-4370 or visit lyonandpearle.com.

Features Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or [email protected].

    Lyon & Pearle, a clothing, toy and gift boutique for children and families in Kalispell on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Maileg mice characters at Lyon & Pearle, a clothing, toy and gift boutique for children and families in Kalispell on Friday, Jan. 19. Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Lyon & Pearle, a clothing, toy and gift boutique for children and families in Kalispell on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Lyon & Pearle, a clothing, toy and gift boutique for children and families in Kalispell on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Lyon & Pearle, a clothing, toy and gift boutique for children and families in Kalispell on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Lyon & Pearle, a clothing, toy and gift boutique for children and families in Kalispell on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Lyon & Pearle, a clothing, toy and gift boutique for children and families in Kalispell on Friday, Jan. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider