52 S. Finley Ave., Basking Ridge
908.340.3113
By: Kaylynn Ebner
Guest House Home Decor has expanded in time for its one-year anniversary. With a move to a larger space to include LULU Kids Style, the partners and sisters Desiree Mazzarese and Stephanie Ossorio also developed a new shopping concept: The Shoppes at Finley. With plans to host pop-up events to support local businesses, The Shoppes at Finley will be the area’s go-to shop to find unique gifts and experience new vendors. 
“I’ve been fortunate to have friends who are local business owners support me with Guest House and now LULU Kids, so paying it forward is our goal with The Shoppes at Finley,” says CEO and owner, Mazzarese. Guest House serves shoppers who are looking for something different when styling their home or buying gifts. The 750-square-foot store is filled with unique bookends, beautiful coffee table books, modern pieces for entertaining, elegant candleholders and candles, fine bone china, and sophisticated home decor.
“The idea is to offer eclectic, unique, sophisticated items that you wouldn’t find in a big box store,” says Mazzarese. “I’m constantly looking for new brands and collections to add.” Throughout Guest House, you’ll find items at price points from high-end buys to less-expensive pieces.
Now, shoppers can also head to LULU Kids Style for stylish kids’ clothing and accessories. “As moms of two kids each, we wanted a place that moms could go to for their kids’ gifts or birthday parties they were attending, that was local enough to fit into their busy schedules,” says Ossorio, co-owner, LULU Kids Style. LULU Kids Style features modern brands like Suburban Riot, Vintage Havana, and Chaser Kids that use recycled materials, organic cotton, and soft fabrics. LULU Kids Style also has colorful stationary items for tweens and lots of accessories like stickers, hats, clothing patches, and bags.
The expansion of Guest House with LULU Kids was a natural evolution for Mazzarese and Ossorio. Mazzarese had been doing marketing and communications when she decided to open the store in September 2021. A little while later, she and her sister got the idea to offer more.
“We were just chatting about how much fun it would be to have a kids store with clothes and accessories you wouldn’t find in every store, especially since there are no places to shop for kids in the area,” says Mazzarese. 
Offering fun, functional, and stylish clothes for kids was really important to Ossorio. “I’ve also been drawn to fun, unique buys. And now as a mom with kids in the Bernards School District, I wanted to offer things that are comfortable yet stylish—and that you don’t see everywhere,” she states.
A few months later, the sisters used a back section of Guest House for the new kids’ offerings. “We saw shoppers gravitating toward that section because there’s nothing like it in the area,” Ossorio states.
The section has expanded with a permanent footprint in the store.
Guest House and LULU Kids Style are located at 52 S. Finley Avenue in Basking Ridge, with online stores at https://guesthousenj.com and https://lulukids.style. Make off-hour shopping appointments (with 1-2 hours’ notice) by emailing hello@guesthousenj.com or sending a direct message on Facebook or Instagram.