North Hills Brother & Sister are Formidable Decorating Duo
Celebrating 10 years in business at Outside Inspirations in Wexford, siblings Tim and Barbara Hollihan share a love for home and garden décor.
Photos by haley wisniewski
As with any close family, Tim Hollihan and his sister Barbara Hollihan experience their share of squabbles. Unlike other siblings, these two can’t go home and stew about it for a few days. They have a business to run.
“One of the great things about having a sibling as a business partner is we can get really mad at each other and then we move along by lunch,” says Tim Hollihan with a laugh.
Both North Hills residents, the Hollihans own Outside Inspirations, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in November.
“I still can’t believe it,” Tim Hollihan says of the shop, based in Pine Township, which sells a mix of furnishings, home and garden décor, jewelry and other gifts. “We never thought we’d still be doing this 10 years later.”
Brother and sister are no strangers to working with each other. Prior to opening Outside Inspirations, the Hollihans ran their own graphic-design business. In search of something new, and with a shared love of shopping, the two decided to launch their own boutique.
“We had always talked about opening a store,” Tim Hollihan says. “It was a little idea that blossomed into a big life change.”
Two years after the Hollihans opened Outside Inspirations in 2005, the economy tanked. Tim Hollihan says the store weathered the recession thanks to loyal customers who kept coming back for the carefully chosen items displayed in the store. Tim Hollihan says he and his sister try to bring in pieces they would enjoy having in their own homes.
“I’m more contemporary, while Barbara is more traditional,” he says. “It’s nice because it brings two perspectives to the buying process.”
Three years ago, the Hollihans moved from a smaller spot in the Pine Tree Shoppes to a bigger location in the same shopping plaza. Noting their customers’ likes and requests, the siblings also have expanded the shop to include personal-accessory items, bags, baby items and even some clothing.
Outside Inspirations
12055 Perry Highway, Pine Township
724/933-8850, [outside-inspirations.com]
