Along 7th Avenue in Downtown Kenosha, there’s a shop that dares to be different, beautifully different. Pretty Weird, located at 4706 7th Avenue, is the city’s newest destination for those who find beauty in the unusual, the curious, and the vintage.
Run by the mother-daughter duo Lori Stern and Neva Arneson, Pretty Weird celebrates “the beautiful and the strange,” offering a mix of vintage treasures, oddities, curiosities, natural science specimens, and unique jewelry — all carefully curated to spark wonder.
“We want people to feel wonder,” Lori says. “I can’t tell you how cool it feels to hear someone gasp, or laugh out loud, or call a friend over to come see something.”
Pretty Weird officially opened its doors on October 3rd, and the response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. “Downtown Kenosha feels right for us,” Lori says. “Especially this neighborhood — it’s full of creative and open people. We’ve felt so welcomed.”
While the store’s displays include the occasional unsettling specimen or morbid relic, the atmosphere is surprisingly warm and whimsical. “We want everyone to feel welcome,” Lori adds. “It’s weird, but it’s invitingly weird.”
The shop is filled with surprises: a Victorian-era photo here, a taxidermy display there, maybe even a vintage television or an elegant art glass vase. While they carry “a bit of everything,” Lori says the natural science section has quickly become a customer favorite.
The duo sources their pieces from a mix of consigners, collectors, and local finds. “Awesome things just walk right in,” Neva laughs. “When we go hunting, we just look for things we would want ourselves — and sometimes it’s hard to take them to the shop instead of home.”
Running a business together might challenge some families, but not this pair. Lori and Neva’s bond is as strong as their shared vision. “We both encourage and drive each other,” they say. “We (almost) never argue. Sharing the same vision helps.”
They even share the same sense of humor about their shop’s unusual name. “We’ve always loved pretty things and weird things — and most of all, weird things that are also pretty. Pretty Weird was the only name we could have chosen.”
Pretty Weird may be new, but it carries a deep sense of gratitude for Kenosha’s small business community. Lori and Neva speak fondly of neighboring shop owners who offered advice, support, and even furniture during their early days.
“We’re so grateful to some very fine people downtown,” Lori says. “Bridgit from Peacetree Originals sends people in to check us out. Joy from Lulu Birds talked me off a ledge before opening. Maya and Gail from Wooden Chair Antiques donated shelves while they were in the middle of their own storm. The community here is truly special.”
Behind Pretty Weird’s curious charm lies a deeply personal story of healing. Lori shares that after losing her partner, Jerry Rasmussen, former owner of Brat Stop, she struggled for years.
“I went to bed for five years after Jerry died,” she says candidly. “Then I met Gabriel from Serendipity on 7th. He woke me up a bit and gave me something to do. He showed me how to hunt estate sales and helped me learn the trade. When he decided to step away, he let us ‘pop up’ in the space and supported us every step of the way. I’ll always be grateful for that.”
Pretty Weird also showcases local talent, featuring jewelry by Dawn Wheeler, macramé lanterns by Sarah Sheerin, and digital artwork by Erlan Wheeler. “We’ve met so many incredible creatives,” Lori says. “We can’t wait to collaborate with even more.”
When they’re not curating the shop, you might find Lori and Neva enjoying a night out in Kenosha — “shoutout to the bartenders at UPT, Villa D’Carlo, Century Pub, and HobNob,” they laugh — or catching up on much-needed sleep.
And as for the one item they’ll never sell? That honor belongs to Imogene the Impala, a longtime fixture of their lives and now of the shop itself.
Pretty Weird is more than a store — it’s a reminder that Downtown Kenosha has room for every kind of creativity. Whether you’re a collector, a curiosity seeker, or just someone who loves a good story, you’ll find something to surprise and delight you inside.
As Lori and Neva put it best: “We’re proud to sell the beautiful and the strange — so they can be loved for at least one more lifetime.”
Visit Pretty Weird in Downtown Kenosha!
4706 7th Avenue, Kenosha, WI 53140
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