The Sui Generis Experience

The Sui Generis Experience
​By Ken DeLaat
Photos by Larry Gouine

Two and a half years ago a new venue appeared on the downtown Newaygo landscape opening on a bright Spring day and offering an exquisite array of home furnishings and home décor items selected by the discriminating eye of its shopkeeper Theresa Cooper.

Since that time Sui Generis has become a destination shop for folks from throughout the region and beyond who are drawn to their doors to investigate what they have heard from others about this creative endeavor.

Now, having departed their incubation site down the street for the splendor of their new digs at the ground floor of The Stream building, Sui Generis has evolved into a spacious setting with... 

...an extensive line of exceptional products from creative pieces of furniture to an eclectic assortment of accessories with an emphasis on Michigan and American made products.

This is not your typical home furniture store. The Sui Generis experience differs from an excursion made in search of a couch or end table. Walking through the airy and cleverly fashioned surroundings one is captivated by the uniqueness of the items on display. Theresa’s eye for distinctive décor is apparent throughout the shop and one can notice how each area takes on a different look, generating ideas and capturing the imagination.

And this is what Sui Generis is all about.

Whether seen as a valuable venue for exploring outside the box of your decorating practices or the ideal spot to accent a look you’ve been creatively carving out Sui Generis possesses that magical mixture of items to suit your personal needs.

And if it’s not quite right? A gorgeous piece, but just the wrong size, shape or color?

No problem.

Sui Generis prides itself on being able to procure the design you desire in the color, shape and size that fits for you.

There is an enchanting atmosphere in this shop that makes one want to linger a bit and wander about. It’s an atmosphere of possibilities and the Cooper’s and their capable and customer-driven staff are on hand to assist in turning those possibilities into realities.

When Theresa and her husband Jake took the entrepreneurial leap they made a decision to open in their home town of Newaygo It was the community they had grown up in and with the addition of Paisley, just 6 months old at the opening, it was also the place they wanted to raise their growing family in.

This quantum leap into a new storefront with expanded inventory and access to an extensive array of options for their customers reinforces the commitment they made to their community when they opened down the street.

And like Paisley, now a bustling and active 3 year old, one can look at Sui Generis and say:

“My, have you ever grown!”

Sui Generis is located at 1 State Road in Newaygo where it serves as an attractive and compelling centerpiece of the downtown business community.