Shopping in Irmo

Relying on customer testing and a comfort-scale rating, A Goodnight Sleepstore's accessible retailers pair patrons with cushioned name-brand mattresses that coax them into a restful torpor without overnight aches. Staff have coded the shop’s pillow-top, memory-foam, and firm mattresses on a comfort scale of one to six, allowing customers to quickly gauge which mattresses will offer the firmness needed for back sleeping and which are soft enough to conceal stockpiles of pilfered marshmallow crème. The shop also showcases accessories such as bed frames, pillows, and sheets, allowing customers to fully assemble the requirements for their new sleeping situation. Free delivery is available for bed sets $599 and higher, and a 30-day money-back guarantee ensures clients won’t have to toss and turn over whether they made the right decision.

When the recession hit, Sheri Hood responded by founding Our Hands Together: a marketplace that supports local artisans and strengthens their community ties. Inside the store, wares from more than 60 merchants radiate personality from their own booths. Shelves display an eclectic range of media, collecting jewelry and blown glass alongside paintings, handbags, and crocheted pieces. Handmade and utterly unique, many works have been assembled from recycled or repurposed materials, a practice that also inspired the market's Trash-to-Treasure art festival and foster home for used paintbrushes.

Though each artisan brings his or her own vibrant contribution to Our Hands Together, Lake Murray magazine asserts that "the community spirit is its real ambiance." Sheri lets area children and teens rent a plot for their art next to the professionals, and several classes scheduled per month welcome students of all ages to shape their own opera.:m]]

Baby Genius's award-winning children's products teach babies and toddlers essential skills through the power of music. Based on a bounty of research, the company's DVDs enrich the learning experience by merging classical pieces and familiar songs with vibrant images, keeping kids entertained for hours. Parents can sit back while animated animal educators teach pocket-size pupils better motor skills, dictionary-defying vocabularies, vampire-free counting, and nap-inducing dance moves that ready little ones for kindergarten and beyond.

In 1993, interior designer Evon Kirkland McAngus founded Evon Kirkland Interiors, through which she transformed homes with an eye for classic and sophisticated design. In 2007, she opened Westend to spread that passion and curate a show room filled with her favorite finds. She and her designers help shoppers navigate the 5,000-plus-square-foot show room to find pieces from reputable high-end lines such as Baker, Henredon, Oly Studio, and Vanguard Furniture. Because they've all honed their design chops, the staff can expertly advise shoppers on purchases.

As shoppers explore the show room, they'll also find antiques from the United States and Europe, as well as plenty of pillows and linens, artwork, and accessories, including candles and kitchen items. The staff also curates a lighting selection that includes table lamps, floor lamps, and chandeliers, which emit more sophisticated glows within homes than dangling light bulbs or half-opened barrels of toxic waste.

The owners of The Range—who first set up shop in 1975 under the name Richard and Ann's Promenade Shop—have spent the last 37 years assembling the wares of a dream team of outfitters in Western, Native American, and equestrian styles. Patrons can slip into a pair of boots by brands such as Lucchese or Tony Lama or pick up two pairs of the rugged heels to outfit a fashionable llama. Broad-brimmed hats by Stetson and Wrangler can shade the eyes and keep fashion-forward perms under wraps while patrolling the countryside.

When Bike to Nature's staffers pool together their roadside fixes and in-shop projects, it adds up to more than 40 years of collective experience. The shop recently relocated across the street from its previous location to a new facility that expands about 4,400 square feet, or twice the size of the former space. Here, the crew stocks a large inventory of new bikes and bike parts to meet any cycling need, whether bikers are interested in commuting, racing, or extraterrestrial advocacy. Biking apparel maximizes riders' sleek speed, and sports-nutrition products such as recovery sports drinks deliver electrolytes, muscle-soothing glutamine, and laboratory-synthesized adrenaline directly into biker's bodies.

Tune-ups and repair services range from quick fixes such as changing a tire to full-body customizations. Bike to Nature's technicians also help patrons learn to repair their own bikes using a precisely measured blend of elbow grease and magic words, and can reveal the best local spots for scenic rides.