Main Street Lucks Out with Lucky 7 Design

For a new store, making it on isn't easy. For a store specializing in quirky, unique design, furniture, accessories, and jewelry, success would seem to be as onerous as climbing Mt. Everest.

Except that every time you head into Lucky 7 Design, the store is never empty. Customers are always sniffing, touching, stroking, oohing and ahhing over the confections owner Melanie Joseph whips up at home, and moves into the shop located at 76 Main Street.

Lucky 7 is in a constant state of flux, and it makes the surroundings, which are lovely, homey, and yet modern and interesting, almost impossible to resist. 

If anyone has figured out how to turn a passionate hobby into a thriving business in a bad econony, it's Melanie.

"I was always in retail. I was a window designer for the Gap," Melanie said. "All the retail jobs I've had I've done the displays and design for. I've always been into decorating."

Three years ago, Melanie started a design blog, based upon the designs she created for her home. That page features a video of her meeting designer Michele Beschen on the Nate Berkus Show.

"I won a chance to have a design done, based on pictures I sent in of my junk drawer," Melanie laughed.

The junk draw detritus was turned into a work of art - rather Melanie-like.

She began to develop a following from her blog, which has only increased on her Facebook page and by selling her own handmade jewelry designs on Etsy, an online sales site for crafters.

The reality of a store was a natural evolution for Melanie - and a way to give her husband some relief. That's because Melanie spends so much time using her home as a stage setting for her designs, her husband just wanted things to stay the same for two days in a row.

If anything, Melanie is constantly changing her home venue as well as the shop. 

Home is a big thing to the designer. Even the store name is based on her brood: Melanie, husband Brian, and their five kids, all of whom live in their cozy Sewaren home.

One of the children, five-year-old Samayah, was diagnosed with autism at age 2. 

"We went through early intervention," Melanie said, adding that they joined Parents of Autistic Children (POAC) and joined in their annual fundraising walk twice at in Sewaren.

Now in her store, she's helping to sell artwork created by autistic children as another form of fundraising.

The store has a light, eclectic touch, kind of a cross between shabby chic, natural elements, recycled materials, and plain old funky design, as Melanie says.

"Where else are you going to see an antique playpen hung up on the wall?" she said. "But put pillows in it and it's totally different than what you'd expect."

She's commissioned jewelry from other Etsy-type artists. Lots of home design materials have been recycled from her home and into the store, but some things actually are straightforward vintage and antique items.

Prices are beyond reasonable. A big seller is handmade soap at $6 a chunky bar, or 2 for $10. 

"Hot sauce is also a big seller," she laughed about a line of cooking add-ons to spice up a boring dinner.

Melanie's plans for Lucky 7 seem boundless. For the store, she came up with the idea of a refillable, recyclable antique Mason jar, to be filled with fixing for soy candles or a body scrub.

The candle would be $15, but when it was burned, you could get a refill in the same jar for $5.

More of her ideas include craft classes for kids and hosting book readings by local authors, and a whole patriotic concept for Memorial Day.

"My whole concept on Main Street is to bring people to the area," Melanie said. "It's that cool downtown face, stop in when you're walking downtown."

Lucky 7 Design is located at 76 Main Street, Woodbridge. The phone number is 732-750-1777. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 1 pm to 7 pm (starting in June, 11 am to 7 pm); Saturday, 11 am to 7 pm; Sunday 12 noon to 5 pm. Closed Mondays.