Gail Gray Dunn

Long ago, I discovered that people want a home of which they can be proud, a place to relax, create memories and laugh with family and friends. My career has largely been helping people achieve just that. Here’s my story.

The Cottage Shoppe, Houston, TX

My first retail experience began in Houston when I opened The Cottage Shoppe, a gift and home accessory store. This successful store showcased a variety of great furnishings and served as the model for my future ventures.

Accessories, etc., Bethlehem, PA

Then we moved to Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. On a crisp, sunny October afternoon while my husband played golf and my children were at college, I decided it was time for another store. At the time, I was working as a freelance designer and was constantly frustrated at how difficult it was to find unique furnishings and home accessories that could really make my clients’ design wishes come true. So I got to work.

In May 2000, “Accessories, etc.” opened in the Apple Tree Plaza in Bethlehem. It was an adorable small shop; I had a successful first year but I realized I needed more space. I found a building with high ceilings, beautiful arched windows with 5,000 square feet in the heart of charming historic Bethlehem. We opened there in November 2002. The busy store had grown to 23 employees with a design staff of four. In March 2005, I added an additional 5,000 square feet… and I soon realized I didn’t love the larger space. Ten thousand square feet requires a lot of inventory and a lot of tending. So in 2007, I made a good decision and “right-sized” back to my original 5,000 square feet.

As our Pennsylvania customer base was growing, reaching into Philadelphia and neighboring New Jersey, another New Jersey business with exactly the same name took notice. The rest is history – and GailGray was born.

GailGray, Bethlehem, PA

On October 1, 2008, Accessories, etc. officially became GailGray Home Furnishings and Design. I made a logical decision to use my first and maiden names for the store’s new name. After that was in place,  I began to think that my location was not as perfect as I had originally thought. I began casually looking for a new location.

GailGray, The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley

In April 2009, we left a quaint historic downtown district for a nearby new outdoor lifestyle center. On May 2, 2009, we opened our doors at The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley. It was a really big change — for us and our customers. But it was fresh and exciting and the staff and our clients and customers really liked the buzz of it all. We now have a storefront with direct access from the street; ample, easy parking; and a great opportunity to meet lots of new people on shopping excursions.