Sisters Garden

Awesome store! Great prices. Friendly service. I always come here when I’m visiting my family.

The cutest place I’ve ever seen in my life. I cannot wait to see more as I travel through.

Love walking through Sisters. It’s fun walking through just to get ideas, but I never really leave empty handed. They have an incredible eye for primitive furniture and the shabby chic look.
The prices have increased these last couple years so it can get expensive, but I still like going out there to get ideas and find odds and ends for the home.

Sister’s Garden has been around long before everyone else jumped on the wagon of shabby chic, upcycling, vintage finds, repurposing, etc… Started by quite literally one of the most talented, humble and inspiring people you may ever meet… She built these houses out of old house parts and gave us all the opportunity to own little pieces of history. Her grassroots vision has touched so many people and given many of us the ability to see the beauty in what we have, what we have had, and what to add in our homes/​lives moving forward…
The inventory is comprised of pickings from all over the Midwest and beyond as well as vintage reproduction, salvaged old house parts, fabulous jewelry and accessories, clothing, furniture, fixtures and so much more… I used to live in Iowa City and I always stop whenever I am back in Iowa visiting family… I am never disappointed and I always leave feeling as if history is not lost but rather being passed on in a really unique and beautiful way…
Try to stop when you are not rushed… you’ll want to give yourself time to soak it all in – don’t forget to look around outside and on the back porch of Bloomers (that is the second house on the property)…Bloomers has an upstairs which caters more towards decorating with children’s things… books, fixtures, furnishings, clothing, art–
They also have had a «Junk in the Yard» sale every now and then which is under a big tent and definitely worth the trip…
To the comment from Adriane P. – they most likely did have first edition and rare books, kitschy glassware, etc… but you missed it! The turnover there is so quick because things are priced to sell… keep trying! You never know what might be waiting to «spellbind» you on your next stop…

Passing through Iowa on a trip, or going to Iowa City, or going to Kalona (the town hub of Iowa Amish country) Sister’s Garden is worth a stop. It’s rather popular with residents and been around some time now.
I do admire what they’ve done with the space: it’s a spacious two story house converted into an antique mall, a barn/​guest house that’s also one, and greenhouse used year round for the garden ornaments, plants, planters, and signs. They also have stuff out on the lawn by the walkway and lily pond. There’s parking, a public bathroom, scented candles burning, and cocoa and cookies sometimes served.
I’ve been now about 5x. Nothing about really stood out to me. I occasionally buy vintage cards or scented candles. That might be the thing with them… a lot is cutesy or obvious or gift shoppy. Nothing really different or spellbinding. Would be nice if they had a collection of first editions or rare books. Maybe kitschy glassware. A lot of the stuff is new or «twee.» Some things that were old that are quirky are a bit obvious… old wooden alphabet blocks to buy and spell out a name or word on your shelf, vintage spelling flash cards («boy,» «John likes _​_​_​_​» –pic of boy playing baseball, ect.), Swanky Swigs, vintage fishing boxes, birdhouses, spoon rings and cocktail jewelry, and so forth. Not reinventing the wheel and much «shabby chic.» That being said, each of my family members always buy a few things. One is a successful antique dealer, the other a longtime collector who had a booth in an antique mall for a year, the other a sorta collector. So what do I know?
Since it seems to be a converted house with so much merchandise the rooms, corridors, and stairs can get cramped if busy. I compliment them for the holiday decorations inside each space and Christmas music. Very festive. The staff is nice. I feel like the prices went up over the years. But as I said it’s worth a stop and there’s generally something for everyone.

If I lived in Iowa, I would definitely make the weekly pilgrimage to Sisters’ Antique shop in Kalona.
The store is located a little ways away from the hub of Iowa City. It appears that the location was once a farm house, with two buildings standing adjacent to each other. A beautiful mosaic lily pond separates the two shops. Inside you will find lots of great collectibles. The have a small section of more modern items, but they are steeped in tradition (think sock monkeys, soaps wrapped in Victorian paper, etc.). The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. As you walk through the rooms, you are likely to find anything from a Saint Francis of Assisi garden statue, frosted-​glass apothecary jars, assortments of bone china, and of coarse your sprinkling of toile and rose print that has become a phenomenon in antique stores.
What sets this antique store apart from your run-​of-​the-​mill «granny’s old junk» store, is the great oddities they sell. My husband bought an old, standard, fire-​hydrant for his Dad on Father’s Day 2009. The gift was much appreciated and has been the subject of many prank calls from the «North Liberty Fire Department.»
This place is great if you are looking to spice up your pad, need a quick thoughtful gift for mom/​gf/​wife, or if you just want to spend the day browsing around and imagining what the prairie looked like 50 years ago.