Mary Perez advertised itself as “a woman’s dream of a fabric store.” Opening in 1952, it was in the heart of the merchant’s district of Palma Ceia on Bay to Bay Boulevard. Homemaking, including sewing, was prominent for women in many families in the 1950s, and Perez’s Fabrics of Distinction helped popularize her shop. Perez studied at the National School of Dress Design in Chicago and was a sewing instructor for Singer before opening her shop. She closed in 1973.  

Silk Greenhouse occupied the building in 1984, and Barclay Hall Antiques moved in in June 1998. In 2003, the Healing Grounds store, specializing in alternative spiritual accessories and decor, opened here. Dover Fine Oriental Rugs celebrated its grand opening in 2004. Barbara Lynch opened Casa Nova, a home furnishings boutique, in 2006 and remained there until 2019, when Crespo Design Group, an interior design firm, took over.

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