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A Fixture for Generations
Written By: Deena Bouknight | Issue: July 2023
For over 70 years, The Brier Patch has been a must-visit Fall Down the Rabbit Hole. It’s easy to discover why – stop by4186 Cashiers Road (US64) just outside Highlands.
Catherine Peay
While some restaurants and retail stores are here today, gone tomorrow, others are fortunate enough to have long-lasting appeal. The Brier Patch in Highlands is in its seventh decade – and is still counting.
Multiple generations of residents and visitors have enjoyed shopping at the Plateau shop for gifts, and increasingly for lighting, decorative accessories, and furnishings.
The current owner is Catherine Peay, but she explained that her mother, Virginia Appleton, worked for the founding couple, Ralph and Cordelia Yancey, and Virginia and her husband, Jon, ended up purchasing the business from the Yancey family in the 1980s. When Catherine moved to Highlands in 1991, she worked with her mother and then was eventually given The Brier Patch in 2000.
Her parents are deceased, but Catherine said she has memories of working at the store with her mother; although she essentially oversees all the buying and management of the store, her husband, Jack Peay, “is always a big help.”
Catherine pointed out that so many people enjoy perusing the approximately 2,000-square-feet of inventory at the charming gray cottage store that they make doing so an outing. Often, they end up relaxing on the back porch and taking in the vistas of Shortoff Mountain, the highest peak in Macon County.
“I keep a selection of outdoor furnishings out there for them to look at,” she said, “and there are so many unique items inside and out that make it fun to explore. And I try to keep new things coming in.”
She added, “The Brier Patch has upholstered and leather chairs, a huge selection of lamps, small dining tables and desks and consoles, hunt boards, foyer pieces – pretty much everything people need to equip and decorate their homes. And I’m always seeking a variety of quality home furnishings and accessory suppliers.”
Peay listens to customers. Anyone searching for a particular piece can provide her with some details, and she will be on the lookout during her shopping trips. “That’s my motivation for getting more upholstery. People were asking and I listened. People are also coming in looking for larger mirrors.
And, always, distinct lamps have been a huge seller – many are porcelain and crystal; but I have a huge assortment of looks and sizes. Popular are some smaller lamps for kitchen counters or bookshelves, but customers need the larger lamps as well.”
