“It all goes back to the customer -- he or she is like family and we will always make the customer our first priority,” declares Troy Englert, who with Patrick Dempsey co-owns Patrick’s Elegant Living in Tysons Corner. Englert isn’t just “all talk” because their store’s new location with its enormous, multi-storied building makes it easy to locate, situated at 1800 International Drive in McLean, and it offers that rarest of commodities – its own outdoor parking!
Finding the right location for Patrick’s has been a process for Englert and Dempsey. They started in 2007 as Patrick’s Fine Linens and Home Decor, a 2,500-square-foot store and then expanded to a 9,500 square-foot store in Old Town Alexandria. After water damage to the store forced them to relocate, they opened stores at The Wharf in DC, a small store in Chevy Chase (which closed), and another in Tysons Galleria. The Galleria store was located on the third floor of the building and Patrick’s was sometimes viewed as Washington’s “best kept secret” since many customers didn’t know where to find it. When the opportunity arose in 2023 to move the store to the stand alone building that once housed Crate and Barrel, Englert and Dempsey were eager to make the change. The buildout took about a year, and its spacious 45,000-square-foot interior is large enough to accommodate everything they offer, including vanities for bathrooms and a full kitchen installation upstairs which they can use as they help customers with home interior design.
Once inside the store two adorable Bedlinton terriers, Miss Shannon and Pineapple Jack, rush to greet visitors. New shoppers may feel as though they have stepped inside a virtual Architectural Digest with its unique but full offerings of upscale home furnishings, lighting, indoor and outdoor furniture, tableware, linens, jewelry, and more! The interior is a feast for the eyes with its sparkling chandeliers and stunning displays of art.
Patrick’s owners believe strongly in purchasing distinctive, one-of-a-kind pieces during their frequent buying forays abroad to France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, or in the U.S. to New York, Georgia, and North Carolina. Their travels mean customers can buy Dea or Sferra linens from Italy and luxury tableware from Hering Berlin. They make a special effort to sell local artists such as jewelry from designer Michael Aram and contemporary art from Oenone Hammersley and Alex Name. The multi-talented Englert has even designed several pieces of furniture and lighting himself.
According to Englert, “When we buy a line, we offer the entire line to our customers. We go deep. Lladró is an example – customers love the small figurines but we also offer the big art pieces and lighting. We like to have special pieces their artists think are special. These artists have passion and we have passion to share their works.”
Basically Patrick’s is a lifestyle store – a great place to buy unique gifts, whether it be for the hostess, or for a birthday or anniversary celebration. Their store items range from large pieces such as dining tables, sofas and bedroom furniture to the smaller items shoppers need such as bathrobes, pajamas, and perfumes -- one of the largest inventory of perfumes in the metro DC area. “Now that we’re larger we’re no longer a mom and pop store, even though we are still like a mom and pop store,” Englert laughs.
A large part of Patrick’s business is its design services – both for the home and office. “We want you to be happy with your final product.” It can range from furnishing small living areas in apartments to filling up an entire home or penthouse. As always, its owners view it’s their job to work with their customers to make them entirely satisfied.
Englert’s many personal and professional interests sprang from his youth. Growing up in the small town of Celestine in Indiana, his drive and willingness to work hard started at a young age. He studied business management at the University of Southern Indiana with a golf scholarship. Improbably he ended up playing on the university’s golf team, again on a scholarship. After discovering a love of flying, he graduated from Embry Aeronautical University in Colorado. For many years he flew well-known business and political leaders around the country in chartered planes. He is the co-founder of Crystal Air Charters (CAC), eventually serving as its president.
Another enthusiasm: Englert owns and helped design two restaurants: Hummingbird in Alexandria and Kaliwa on the Wharf in DC. And let’s not forget plans to open a pet store in the near future. It’s safe to say that Patrick’s is no longer Tyson’s “best kept secret” – its continued emphasis on customer satisfaction with their service and unique offerings not only keeps buyers returning but entices new ones to stop in as well.
“When we buy a line, we offer the entire line to our customers. We go deep. Lladró is an example"
“We want you to be happy with your final product.” It can range from furnishing small living areas in apartments to filling up an entire home or penthouse.