05/27/2026
After everything we’ve been through this year, this hit me hard.
I didn’t nominate myself. I didn’t buy an award. I didn’t campaign for it. An industry publication looked across the country and said, “This store belongs on our list of the 50 best independent home decor retailers in America.”
And what gets me most is the timing.
While I’ve been fighting insurance adjusters, dealing with water damage, running pop-ups out of a tent, wondering if our building would ever reopen, trying to keep employees paid, serving clients, and carrying the stress of an entire business on my shoulders...
The rest of the industry was looking at Aqua & Oak and seeing excellence.
Not a disaster story.
Excellence.
The write-up talks about our beautiful showroom, our evolution from pools to a lifestyle brand, our design focus, and our retail concept.
But it doesn’t mention the late nights. The risk we took opening Aqua & Oak. The years it took to build a following. The installs. The Christmas seasons. The markets. The countless homes we’ve had the privilege of transforming. Or the fact that we are still showing up and serving customers when many people would have thrown in the towel.
I am incredibly proud of what Aqua & Oak has built. Not because of an award, but because of the people behind it and the community that has carried us through every season.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us, encouraged us, prayed for us, shopped with us, and continued to believe in us.
This one means more than you’ll ever know. ❤️
Much love,
Kelly Gregory
