Simonton's
Simonton and Associates was located at 2005 11th Avenue South and was an interior design firm owned and operated by Ellen Simonton. The firm was housed in the back area of the store while the front was a furniture and specialty store. Simonton's was known for being on of the first stores in the area showing furniture, artwork and accessories accommodating a predominantly sophisticated design aesthetic utilizing mostly a palette of blacks and metallics. Simonton's moved to English Village and after a couple of years closed its doors. Simonton was the interior designer for the headquarters of the Jemison Investment Company, Inc. In the early 1990's, Simonton shocked her neighbors when she chose to paint the exterior of her Forest Park home in black but it soon became a Birmingham tourist drive-by for design people interested in the home.
Simonton's was lauded in design magazines both regionally and nationally for its uniqueness.