Many know Bridget Peterson as a former employee in Suburban Soul.” When that business closed its doors – yet another victim of our screwed up economy – she decided to open a store of her own, which was something she had wanted to do for many years. So, a couple months ago, she finally did. She was eminently qualified, having spent more than 15 years in the retail clothing business, including nine years with Nordstrom and four years with The Gap.

I hadn’t heard of her place, but happened to notice it one day last week. So I curiously ambled inside.

I was promptly blown away.

In my humble opinion, Bridget’s Boutique is one of the most attractive stores in town. Initially, I wasn’t sure what to make of it: was it a clothing store, an antique gallery, or simply the dissertation for a doctoral degree in interior design? The last option was eliminated when Bridget told me she had little formal education beyond high school. (There was that time she fooled around with schooling to become a dental assistant, but that didn’t last long because she absolutely hated it.)

The walls are lined with large sheets of rusty tin. Artistically scattered across the stenciled floor are any number of antique trunks, old wooden boxes, large Puget Sound Energy utility spools, old light fixtures, antique furniture, beds and cabinets, and a collection of old medicine bottles. There’s a fisherman’s ancient crab trap hanging over an aged ladder.

Yet, make no mistake, this boutique is first and foremost a clothing store rather than an antique salon. It offers a refined line of women’s attire, bearing labels that weren’t familiar to me. The jeans are quite stylish. Many of the dresses and blouses are attractive, certainly respectable street wear, but still possess considerable romance and sensual charm. In other words, such styles will turn a few heads. (My, oh my, the things they wear in public these days.) There’s also a selection of rings, bracelets, necklaces and other jewelry and a collection of accessories like purses and scarves.

The dressing rooms are nicely mirrored and uniquely designed with antique furnishings.

Bridget has long-range plans to create a lounge of sorts on the rear mezzanine where customers can relax and have a cocktail. In particular, men would appreciate such a setting, while their women-friends or wives shop.

I asked Bridget if everything in the store was for sale. “Well, not all the antiques,” she said. “I’d like to keep a few of them as racks to display the clothing.” But then she added with a playful little smirk. “On second thought, of course, everything is for sale if the price is right.”

But you don’t have to be in the market for clothes or antiques to stop by. No matter what your intentions, Bridget will be glad to see you. And, trust me, the store’s design is well worth a visit.