First things first. Why the name? For 14 years, we enjoyed living with a pug named Henry who had the most velvety little ears to ever grace a little dog's head. Henry was actually a mischievous angel with a fondness for the most expensive fabrics and pillows his humans could provide. Scalamandre's Le Tigre velvet was his favorite! Henry's love of all things gorgeous, soft and huggable inspired the name of his doggie mom's business. Tragically for all who loved him, Henry made his journey across the Rainbow Bridge in January of 2022, but his charms live on in his namesake business. 

 

Henry's doggie mom, Susan Gates, spent over two decades transforming clients' homes in large cities, but it was the tranquility of small town living that inspired her to open a retail space in the charming village of Norris, Tennessee. The sophisticated shop in the wee blue cottage was a town treasure, but the need for more space necessitated the move to the shop's current location on historic downtown Clinton, Tennessee's Antiques Row. 

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Much of the inventory at The Velvet Pug was selected by Susan at the famous flea markets of Paris. The shop's curated selection of antiques, objets d'art, lighting, fabrics, fragrances, soaps, and unique gifts is a destination unto itself!

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With over 20 antiques and specialty stores, a European style pastry and coffee shop, and a 1940's drug store with lunch counter and soda fountain, it's no wonder Clinton made the number one spot in MarthaStewart.com's article The Best Places to Go Antiquing Across the Country. The Velvet Pug proudly sits at the corner of Market and Main.