Melissa Lindsay grew up in Darien while Jill Saunders was raised in Stamford. They met in New Canaan when they were part-time workers at Pimlico, but didn't become fast friends until 2006. That's when they teamed up to purchase the interior design store now located on the corner of Elm Street and South Avenue. They're running the business like they've owned it forever, blending their expertise with a warm and friendly demeanor.

"We complement each other really well,"said Saunders, who is a Stamford High School graduate. "We balance each other. Melissa has the design end of it and I have the customer service side of things."

Added Lindsay, "The original owner thought we'd be perfect as co-owners. Our personalities jive really well together. We work hard to make the client feel comfortable. We treat them the way we would want to be treated."

Saunders wasn't sure if her style fit being an owner of a store. She saw first-hand the pressure that can go with just making enough money to be able to pay the rent every month.

"I grew up in a family where my dad owned his own business and there was some hesitation because I saw the stress he was under," said Saunders, graduated from Fordham University. "If money is not coming in, you can't pay the bills. It was a harder leap for me."

Lindsay, who holds degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill and the Fashion Institute of Technology, never had designs of owning her own business as well.

"I thought I was on one specific track in the design world, so it kind of threw me for a loop," said Lindsay. "I came from working at design firms where I had a varied but distinct role where I did a lot more drawings and renderings. But I felt good about the opportunity to own the store. Now, I love having my hand in different aspects of the store and working with clients."

Lindsay and Saunders purchased a store that was already a well-oiled machine with a good reputation and a strong number of accounts. They've made small tweaks and changes, but don't believe they have everything figured out.

"We're still learning, it's a process," said Lindsay. "We really reached out to people who had business experience and we also studied and read books to learn as much as we can."

Like many store owners, Lindsay and Saunders strive to make the shopping experience an unforgettable one for their customers.

"Most people would be happy to pull up a seat on the sofa and kick their feet up on the ottoman we have there," said Saunders. "It's inspiring, but people also inspire us. And it's a constant flow of design information which is really nice."

Lindsay added, "I think when you walk in there is always a strong design aesthetic and a feeling that it's more than just the product. People always comment on how they good they feel when they're in here. This is how they want their house to feel. We want to share that good design and feeling with our town."