About the Shop and Owner

Laurie SuggI opened The Fab Foo in the spring of 2017 after a three decade career in technology and software sales for some of the largest and best companies in the US.  While I enjoyed the learning, travel, and friendship opportunities my tech career afforded me, I knew there was something more visually creative inside me.  I wanted to pursue my passion for history and antique porcelains and help people enjoy their surroundings.  After thirty years in tech, I made this change while still young enough to have the energy to do it (and move the furniture around!)  I tell my friends how fortunate I am, because my tomorrow starts today!

The Fab Foo incorporates many styles, and the only unifying factor is that I personally choose each item and sell what I like.  I select pieces of quality and taste, offering a wide price range and variety of merchandise where everyone from a first time apartment dweller to an empty nester furnishing his/her dream home can find something.  You will see midcentury, French, Italian, lacquered, Palm Beach, and other flavors of furniture and accessories in the store.  Asian flair/chinoiserie is my favorite look and a frequent theme in what I sell.  

​My other personal favorites include vintage barware from the era when cocktailing was a pastime, along with the gorgeous colorful porcelains from 18th, 19th, and early 20th century China and Japan.  I am infected with a need for more and more blue and white, and having my shop has made this affliction worse!

If you need advice on styling, our shop team can assist.  But we are not designers, and believe strongly in the value of a professional designer.   We are happy to work with you and your chosen design partner to source pieces that will make your home unique.  Vintage always provides a distinctive look!  And frequently for a better price/value point than new!

People ask me about the name, "The Fab Foo," and how I came up with it.  The simple answer it is combines my love of the Beatles, and my love of chinoiserie.

On a personal note, I grew up in Wilmington, graduated from UNC with a degree in history, and after living in New York for years, have made Raleigh my home since the 1990's, while continuing to work in New York and other large cities.  My husband, daughter, amazing shop team, and dear friends have provided much encouragement in this endeavor, and I am grateful for their support.

-Laurie Sugg, Owner