Home, Heart & Soul - December 2023 LKN Currents Article

Before your eyes can even begin to take in everything that Home, Heart & Soul has to offer, the first thing you notice when you walk in is the calming aroma of scented candles. Shop owner and interior decorator Lori Savio says she loves watching her customers walk in and experience that very moment.

You take a deep breath, the tension in your neck and shoulders lets up a little bit at a time and just like that, whatever the world had decided to pile on you for the day is briefly lifted. That experience is just one of the many reasons our readers voted Home, Heart & Soul in Cornelius “Best Gift Shop” for our 2023 Best of Lake Norman CURRENTS Awards. 

“What I wanted to create was a place for people to come to just relax,” says Savio, “to take them away from whatever might be going on in their life. That, to me, is everything.” Mission accomplished.

Of course, the fact that her boutique fills every nook and cranny of a charming historic home on Cornelius’ east side doesn’t hurt. “It’s extremely inviting,” she says. “It gives you just that warm sense when you enter.”

Savio carries several home décor lines that she has an exclusive with, meaning you won’t see such items in any other stores. And it’s always changing, she says, regularly offering something new to look at – much of it created by local artisans.

“I have always geared things toward items that will inspire others,” she says, whether you’re looking for a gift for someone celebrating a life event or going through a difficult time. She even offered a curated bridal registry that draws from some of the unique lines she carries. And if it’s your home’s interior that needs some inspiration or perhaps a complete makeover, Savio can help with that, too. With decade of interior decorating and design experience, she can provide clients with a customized plan thanks to an extensive selection of furniture, fabrics, window treatments, and accessories – samples of which can all be experienced in the boutique’s upstairs design studio.

But a very recent decision Savio made means her studio will not be relegated to upstairs much longer. Starting in January 2024, Savio’s transition from a retail venue to a full-service decorating and design destination will be complete. To work through that transition, her entire boutique inventory will be on sale through Dec. 24 at 40% off – perfect timing for your holiday shopping. 

Read the original LKN CURRENTS article written by Lori Helms and published December 2023. Photography provided by Lori Savio.