Children’s boutique gets a TV makeover

By Kerry Butrick Dowling
Posted 5/4/22

In 2000, Karen Kaiser Sharp of New Windsor, opened the doors of her photography studio, Karen Kaiser Sharp Photography, on Main Street in Cornwall never knowing what her future might hold. Then two …

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Children’s boutique gets a TV makeover

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In 2000, Karen Kaiser Sharp of New Windsor, opened the doors of her photography studio, Karen Kaiser Sharp Photography, on Main Street in Cornwall never knowing what her future might hold. Then two years later, her daughter Madison was born, which led her photography business in a new direction. With the birth of her daughter came the idea for a children’s boutique with classy, unique, hard to find styles, not found in typical box stores. She packed up the studio and moved a few stores down with the photography studio in the back of the space and began selling clothing in her store, Madison Avenue Fine Children’s Clothing Boutique.

“After Madison was born I wanted to dress her a certain way and in things I thought were unique so I started buying outfits and selling them in my shop,” she explained.

Before long, the store was the family’s second home especially Madison who grew up spending her days there and helping her mom with the store. Over the years, the sweet children’s boutique has been a fixture on the corner near the traffic light on Main Street and Willow Avenue. When Covid hit two years ago, Kaiser Sharp said much like many other small businesses the business suffered which was a stressful time.

“I honestly didn’t think I was going to make it through Covid,” she explained, even after increasing her social media presence by doing live videos inside the store to attract potential buyers.

In November, Kaiser Sharp received the exciting and unexpected news that her store had been selected as part of HGTV’s Home Town Kickstart. Cornwall was selected as one of six small towns across America to receive a makeover in various categories.

Residents and those involved in the production have been asked to keep details quiet until the show airs, but the excitement is building in the small tight-knit community. The boutique was recently fully renovated by HGTV and the show will air on Sunday, May 8, at 8 p.m. on HGTV.

“I’m so honored to have been chosen for this amazing opportunity. HGTV was very good to me and it was a great experience,” she shared. With the Cornwall community eager for all of the reveals, Kaiser Sharp said the Cornwall community is one of a kind. With strong ties to Cornwall for decades, she was overwhelmed by the support she has been given. In addition, Kaiser Sharp has been a volunteer locally for 39 years with the Cronomer Valley Fire Department’s Ladies Auxiliary.