We had driven around the square in Woodstock, determined to continue on our trip to Minneapolis,…read morewhen either my boyfriend's mom or sister noticed a little shop tucked in among the other stores. They convinced my boyfriend to make another loop around the square and park in front of the quaint shop because we had to check it out. I'm so glad they made us turn around. The Backdrop is a find that is chock full of so many other great finds. This is a gift shop that makes you want to buy a few things for yourself -- which I did. The Backdrop has cards, pillows, trinkets, jewelry, novelty books, home decor and other doo-dads a-plenty. We spent more than the five minutes we told my boyfriend we would take perusing everything. And so many of the finds were very affordable, such as the locket I got for about $15 and a print about beer for $12. The owners -- or at least I believe they are the owners -- were also great to chat with. They had actually been down to Kentucky for Kentucky Crafted, and they had a better knowledge of past Kentucky governors than I have. It was nice to talk to someone who is passionate and easy to talk to about my fave state. It's probably good that I don't live in Woodstock or else I spend way too much money at The Backdrop on a regular basis.

Learning to speak Klingon can be a daunting task. You don't want to pronounce something incorrectly…read moreand find you've just called some temperamental Klingon a butthead by accident. So you can see why it came in so handy when I happened upon this cute shop in Woodstock Square that sold a book teaching Klingon. The Backdrop is one of the more unusual home decor shops I've ever come across. I could look for hours and spend a fortune. There are a lot of unique items such as the aforementioned Klingon book (see pic), weird and creepy mounted doll heads, beeswax art, beautiful handmade jewelry, and a ton of truly unique home decor. It is probably my favorite shop in Woodstock. I feel like you can find something for everyone at this store. If issued the challenge, I dare say I could buy for everyone on my Christmas list here. I could certainly buy a bunch for myself! Items found here are moderate to pricey, but you are definitely paying for a carefully curated collection of items, and in my book, unique equals special, so I very much appreciate finding items here I can't elsewhere. Everything here is unique, even items not for sale, like foam core cutouts and painted decor (that you would never believe were made from foam core in a million years), or yard sticks mounted and used as display shelves. Inspiring is the word I would use. You can really get your creative juices flowing after a saunter through the store. You will think of all sorts of home projects with The Backdrop as the inspiration. As a graphic designer, I admire the imaginative and innovative selections and executions. As a Klingon, I demand it.

This location was super packed during the holidays and there were a ton of great gift items around…read more I had difficulty finding men's clothing that was either fashionable or reasonable in price and unfortunately I couldn't find a single item that met both criteria. One thing I love about this location is that the staff is super friendly and there's usually parking available. Probably the best thing to buy here are toys or home goods... the clothing has been hit or miss.

I travel out to this TJ Maxx from Bull Valley/Woodstock area and it's always great and worth the…read moretrip! Came out to grab a few self-care/splurge items for my kids for Valentine's Day, and as the rule goes, found a bunch of great deals and bought a few additional pieces for my home office, since I'm now working full remote. Thank you Ana for being such a delight at checkout. Haven't experienced customer service this great in such a long time.

Love shopping at Black Oak; beautiful items, always something new and different, reasonable prices…read moreand even delicious treats on the weekend. Always a warm welcome when we go in.

I have been in this store with my two friends many times. The owner Chris always beens over…read morebackwards to say hello to my two friends but NEVER has said hello, welcome or anything to me. Very rude! Very fake. I will never spend a dime there and will tell all my friends about my continuing experience.

I see stopped in today because their Instagram feed is constantly updated with beautiful things,…read morebut also recently they've been sharing some of their fall and Halloween goodies. On my way back to Chicago from Madison I was trying to make it in time to stop here and see what goodies I might want. I did indeed leave with some things and can't wait to put them up come October! But the best part was chatting with the shopkeeper. Lorraine is a gem! I spent more time chatting with her than shopping (I was able to pick out what I wanted straightaway!). Luckily there was no one else in the shop whilst I was there and I didn't keep her too long since I left at 5:00 exactly (quitting time). I will 100% be back because they have too many beautiful things that I want in my house.

Hiring Brent's team for a custom coffee table was the best decision we ever made. The color, the…read moredesign, the construction... Everything is pure perfection. We first hired a different contractor who totally ignored our design specification, added some elements we didn't want and blatantly disregarded our stain choice. Between delays from him being a total flake and promising to do work he never completed, 6 months later we still didn't have a table. Enter Reclaimed. We gave Brent our design- he asked a few clarifying question and made suggestions based on experience. We brought a wood sample from another piece of furniture we wanted to compliment and he recommended a custom stain blend. He quoted 6 weeks and we crossed our fingers that we wouldn't get burned again. We received a couple updates throughout the process on progress and then it was done- in the time frame quoted, at the price quoted. The finished piece is absolutely gorgeous! The craftsmanship on it is incredible- truly heirloom quality. On top of it all, it's a conversation piece as it was built from a reclaimed bowling lane. It looks like it came from Restoration Hardware except it cost about $3K less! Bottom line- they offer some cool refurbished stock pieces and they even sell high quality supplies at a reasonable price (General Finishes cheaper than amazon!). But if you can't find what you're liking for, don't hesitate to hire them for a custom piece of furniture!

I actually drove out to Crystal Lake (from Buffalo Grove) just to check this place out, and I have…read moreto say I was kinda disappointed. Let me start with the Positives, and what I liked: - Adorable shop - Love the IDEA of this place, and the collaboration of artists. - Loved the actual items in the store - Girl working seemed somewhat friendly. Not pushy. But here are the negatives, and why I probably won't be back: - WAY too expensive for my blood. They seemed HIGHLY over-priced. HIGHLY. I'm sorry but i'm not paying $700 for your dresser that I could pickup at a resale store for $100 and re-finish myself for under a $100. It's outrageous. - Small. I guess based on what I'd seen/heard, i expected more. Bigger. The shop is tiny, thus there really wasn't a lot of furniture there, so it really wasn't worth my drive. Overall, what a really cool idea. I really wanted to fall in love with this place, and was really excited to go check it out. But i can't get over the disappointment of what it actually was. Here's my compromise: If you're in the area, definitely stop by and check it out! Maybe you can spend more dough than I, and will find a piece that you absolutely adore. I say, it doesn't hurt to stop if you're nearby! Just don't make a special trip for it. If they ever expand, and lower prices, I'll most def be back!

What a wonderful store! It has a little bit of everything. It's always fun to see what you'll find…read more It's like an indoor multi person flea market. This time around i literally said as I walked in I'm looking for a butter bell and that's it!! Well lo and behold! I'm telling you this place is amazing the staff is so friendly and are willing to help you find things. You will need a week to see everything they have . The place is clean and well organized and you always get a bang for your buck.

Fabulous antique and treasure store! 70 plus vendors in a huge space! Front is deceptive as it's a…read moresmall narrow hallway but when you get to the back it's 10 thousand sq ft of treasures!!! You must go!

This place is a gem. Most of us it's like a kid and a candy store. Everything is so beautifully…read morecurated and clean and organized. The people that work there and volunteer. There are so wonderful and kind they have a free section. This place is truly a spectacular highly unusual incredibly special place.

My favorite place to be. They have their more "upscale" donations at the front entrance and as you…read morecontinue walking around you will see more reasonably priced items. They have almost anything you think you may need and if they don't, they'll have it next week. They have a sale going on right now the entire store is 50% off and you cannot beat that. They also run different sales throughout the year. There's A LOT of items but it's not messy- everything is organized and labeled. In addition to the wide variety of items and prices, the volunteers and employees have been so kind to me. Victor delivered a couch and chair and I'm so grateful for the help! I'm in there almost every week. Be prepared to spend at least an hour in there. You can't beat it!

Billed as a huge antique mall with 7 miles (not quite)…read more Part of a lager Volo complex that offers many things for families from dinosaurs to titanic exhibits. The antique part runs along side of the main attractions. There are many small booths that run through 4 buildings. Lots to look through. The one building is a maze over several floors including a barn attic. They are connected by a covered walkway. I wouldn't think they are handicapped accessible. I found some albums with decent prices. I wouldn't make it a destination, but I'd stop if I was in the area.

Massive antique mall spread across multiple floors of 3 buildings. There's something for everyone-…read morevintage toys, clothes, jewelry, memorabilia, kitchenware and a little bit of furniture. Fun place to explore for a few hours. Reasonable prices.