Are you red-dy?

Spice up your decor with a visit to Ginger Roots

By Sabine Wilson

For the TODAY

If you are one of the few who has not yet made it to Ginger Roots, one of the newest and loveliest additions to the Lincoln City Outlets, then this holiday season is the perfect time to do so. Some advice: run, don’t walk.

This endearing home decor boutique has quickly become a local staple, with customers rapidly buying up their offerings: from an assortment of gourmet foods and one-of-a-kind gifts, to craft toys for children and pets, kitchen goods to bedding and, of course, their high-quality furniture and home decor. The styles range anywhere from colorfully coastal to funky vintage and rustic country.

The store, which opened in April, is owned by Amber Taunton and operated with the help of her daughters, Amanda Sawyer and Alicia Keller. They each bring valuable skills that have molded Ginger Roots into the gem that it is today. But the evolution of Ginger Roots was quite the journey.

“We got the space last October and I originally believed that I’d never be able to fill this huge space,” Taunton said. “We started off with one mindset and then very late in the project we changed our name.”

Taunton, Sawyer and Keller already had their contract and logo made up for their business.

“At that point it felt kind of crazy to change everything when we were that far along,'' Taunton said. “But now I know it was meant to be.”

As a family business, choosing their name “Ginger Roots” pays homage to their lovely red locks that are as eye-catching as their products. This change of name led to a shift that became a catalyst for the creative and cohesive energy that now flows through Ginger Roots while also honoring the importance of family.

“Once we changed our name everything kind of fell into place,” Taunton said. “It means so much to be able to work with family.”

Taunton’s roots go deep on the Oregon Coast. Born in Newport, she grew up in the Waldport area, moved to Astoria for most of her adult life, then finally settled down in Depoe Bay in 2009.

“My dad was in construction so I always grew up with that,” she said. “Because of that exposure I am able to wire a house, I can tile and I can do plumbing.”

These skills came in handy during the opening of Ginger Roots. For instance, one of the defining characteristics of the store is the beautiful exposed brick that lines the walls and adds a rustic feel.

“It was a huge project,” Taunton said. “We did it all ourselves up on the scaffolding and then we started to build all the shelves and got to see it all come together.”

They infuse a new meaning into the phrase, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” During the store’s preparations, Taunton helped Sawyer with her house by assisting with the plumbing, all electrical aspects and, just for bonus points, also made a quilt for Sawyer’s baby.

“This was all while opening Ginger Roots,” Sawyer said. “I don’t understand how she does it. She never stops.”

Operating under their motto of “collected, repurposed and found” the team’s work ethic enlivens every corner of the store. In an age where everyone has items delivered at the click of a button, the Ginger Roots gals look for their products in person, making sure they can feel the quality.

“We go to the markets and do all of the work ourselves,” Taunton said. “We try to bring in items that are of good quality and timeless.”

Their flexibility to consistently rotate the products and displays in the store might contribute to what keeps it so fresh and exciting. And since they are open seven days a week, they do small changes throughout the day and then stay late to accomplish new displays.

“One section of the store might be completely different the next day,” Taunton said. “We do major changes monthly which takes a lot of time but we always have fun with it.”

While these women work to illuminate and improve their store, they also are more than happy to offer their skills to their clients.

“We would love for our store to be a haven for the homeowner,” Taunton said. “We want to help people tweak things in their home and help them. We can also do in-home appointments, staging and more.”

The store also offers regular deals. For instance, if you buy three or more food items you get a 10-percent discount. They also put together customized and exquisite baskets which make for great gifts.

Ginger Roots is the embodiment of where your most-beloved interior design magazine meets your favorite Pinterest board. But more than the design, the store provides the warm and cozy feeling we all want our homes to have.

Ginger Roots is located in the Lincoln City Outlets at 1500 SE East Devils Lake Road and is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. For more information, go to gingerrootshome.com.