Mills 50 District is a small section of Orlando where creativity and culture can come together in harmony. It has a variety of shops and restaurants and now, a shop called Propagation that serves as both a furniture shop and espresso lounge with a lot more in store.
Owners Travis Alexander and Brittany Reed opened Propagation Monday, March 9 after success with selling mid-century furniture on their Etsy shop of the same name.
“This place is like a culmination of our interests,” said Brittany Reed.
Located at 1121 N. Mills Ave., this minimalistic shop features charming furniture pieces from the 1960s, vintage musical instruments and plenty of cacti and succulents decorated throughout which are all for sale along with a myriad of coffee choices.
Their interest in furniture came over the years as they started to pick up European, Spanish and American pieces.
The couple started selling them through Etsy as well as succulent packages. Most sales come from New York and California but have brought them much success to where they could open a local shop/ espresso lounge. In the future, they hope to have more local sales.
Travis Reed said that the shop is a furniture store but also an excuse to have coffee where they work.
“We drink a lot of coffee,” said Brittany Reed with a beaming smile.
The coffee they sell is a savorous Italian blend which brings many locals in whether for a quick drink or to hang out and lounge in the lovely furniture and atmosphere.
Choosing this spot was not hard for them because of the great location and natural light which filters through the shop’s windows. It took them four months to prepare and they finally brought the papers down and were open for business.
Their 6-year-old daughter, Nahli Reed, said she has been having fun in the shop for the past weeks.
“She’s got a coffee shop in the back that no one’s been going into,” said Travis Reed.
Besides a love for coffee, this family shares an interest in music and plays tunes as versatile as their shop such as The Smiths, Lou Reed and Arcade Fire.
Along the way, they’ll be happy with little surprises and have a lot more that they want to do.
“Propagation means to make more of. We are constantly changing what we do. That’s why we don’t like to put ourselves in any niche of just a coffee shop or just a furniture store,” said Brittany Reed.
To contact and follow up with Propagation, follow their IG: _propagation_
