Hoosier Sister Makes Carmel Homes Cozier

Sisters Gretchen Harter (left) and Heidi Heldt (right).Photo by Tony Valainis

SISTERS, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters as Heidi Heldt and Gretchen Harter. The Kokomo natives started building a following in 2013 with pop-up shops in Zionsville and Carmel to sell their supply of both vintage goods and new home accessories. Once COVID-19 hit, their traveling days ended, so they settled into Clay Terrace—it’s the spot with the 1988 Jeep Wagoneer parked out front for selfies. Inside Hoosier Sister, the design-savvy duo has created a relaxing shopping experience ruled by the seasons—there may be a wooden canoe display for fall, then antique sleds and snowshoes a month later, plus the perfect complementary scent from their own popular line of soy wax candles. A constantly rotating inventory of one-of-a-kind items, peppered with new giftables and tabletop pieces, keeps customers coming back for rustically romantic furniture, handmade products, European antiques, unique plants, jewelry, and bags, plus inspiration for decorating with bushel baskets and plaid blankets. The devotion is contagious.

SCOUTED
(1) Brass candlesticks, $15 and up (2) Vintage breadboards, $95 each (3) Hoosier Sister concrete candle, $28 (4) Pillows, $45 and up