There’s no missing the glowing red sign as you drive past 123 Constant Spring Road. In fact Wright Image’s PJ Wright was hosting a private birthday shindig at this address, and it is there that we stumbled upon The House.

The House sits in the corner of The Cottage Place, which is home to shopping boutiques like Unik and Ba-bee-licious. However, this is not a clothing store, but a classy lounge and restaurant, which officially opened its doors on Friday, November 26.

As you may deduce from its name, the complex resembles little cottages, one of which Yolande Phillips leased to open her fashion boutique, Unik. Some time after opening, she decided to create an outdoor runway to host fashion shows for her store. With the runway in place, it was decided that perhaps a bar might be needed for her future functions. Eventually she simply leased the area behind the store as well, and began the revamp, creating a tasteful area where one could lounge, have a drink, or nibble on tasty morsels of international cuisine. Says Phillips, “Somewhere along the line, it became a restaurant. It certainly wasn’t planned, but as we went along and extended, we just decided to lease the space.”

As they neared completion of the restaurant, the space began to feel like a place of comfort. Everyone who came or stopped by didn’t want to leave — they were as comfortable there as if they were in their own homes.

“It’s a home away from home; it’s that kind of theme — really close-knit. The staff, everybody gets along. Even in the process of renovating and building, we did everything together — cooked in the kitchen, ate together… construction workers, staff — we’re like a family and we want our customers to feel like they are family too,” shared Phillips.

And so was born the name — The House — which is set to become one of the most happening hot spots in Kingston.

Phillips continued, “We really want people to feel at home, so inside we have rooms with different themes — living room, bedroom, the deck… plus a VIP lounge that has been nicknamed the ‘red room’ since it’s painted in that colour from ceiling to floor.”

Working at her family business Phil’s Hardware, plus operating a boutique and restaurant is a lot of work for Phillips, but she’s excited about the prospects of The House, which thus far has been getting a lot of positive reviews from close friends who have been invited over to be among the first to visit the place.