Drive through Abilene’s SoDA District and you’ll see an attractive array of restored and repurposed historic buildings.
That description perfectly fits the beautiful building at 149 Oak St., which houses Oak Street Shoppe. Except that the building and the store aren’t that old, certainly not historic. Oak Street Shoppe opened in April 2024 following an extensive demolition and construction process. The result is an entirely new building that blends in perfectly with the other buildings in the SoDA District (South of Downtown Abilene).
“It’s a new shop with an old soul,” said Rebecca Gibbs, owner of Oak Street Shoppe.
Her husband, Lucas Gibbs, lent his impressive home construction skills to the project by tearing down a metal building that once housed an auto mechanic shop and building the current historic looka- like building on the corner of Oak and South 2nd streets. “This is what should have been here all along,” Rebecca said.
She is absolutely right. Ever since developers began turning the south-of-downtown buildings into lively showcases, a metal building stood out like a sore thumb. Rebecca and Lucas paid so much attention to the details that went into making the building look historic that they ordered specially made metal awnings from England.
As pleasing to the eye as Oak Street Shoppe is, it doesn’t exist just as a showplace. It houses an actual business operated by Rebecca and three team members–Jordan Harrell, design coordinator, and designers Bradye McQueen and Marilyn Crockett.
The inside is just as stunning as the outside. The interior is designed like a home so that potential clients can see what a home built by Lucas and designed by Rebecca can look like. Different areas display home furnishings, decor items like lamps, pillows and rugs, and fabric and carpet samples. Original, local artwork adorns the walls, and baskets and handwoven straw purses dot the different areas. The baskets and purses are products of Abilenian Ivy Appah through her Straworth business.
Samples of Lucas’ woodwork, which could pass for art, also are on display. Before starting his own home building business, Lucas worked for Chris Moore, a local cabinet maker. All the woodwork on the interior of Oak Street Shoppe is Lucas’ work, as well. Visitors to the store often rave about the samples and the actual woodwork in the building. It gives Rebecca an opportunity to brag on her husband.
“Thas was all him,” she says.
Lucas and Rebecca are in the process of opening up more space on the east end of the building. That will allow for lighting and wallpaper displays and more storage space.
Oak Street Shoppe is a fun place to make a unique purchase, work with a designer, create a wedding registry or maybe even attend a special event like last year’s Mother’s Day popup. Local artist Jackie O’Bosky did a watercolor class in the the store last year and more events are planned this year. O’Bosky’s watercolors and Appah’s straw creations are for sale in the store.
Oak Street Shoppe is a family affair, with both sets of parents chipping in. Bryan and Becky Gibbs lived in Brazil as missionaries when Lucas was born, but he grew up in Abilene. Rebecca’s parents, Jon and Cheryl Steffins, moved here from Louisiana about 10 years ago after the birth of Brock Gibbs, who is now 10. He was followed by brothers Gray, 8, Forrest, 7 and Silas, 5. Lucas, too, is one of four boys in his family. Rebecca’s dad, Jon, is a project manager for Lucas’ home building company.
“He’s a wonderful perfectionist,” Rebecca said.
Rebecca and Lucas met as students at Abilene Christian University. She majored in interior design and Lucas was a pre-architecture major. They graduated in 2008 and Lucas added a master’s degree in sustainable building processes from Lipscomb University in Nashville. They moved back to Abilene in 2012. Since then, Rebecca has been certified as a Registered Interior Designer by the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners and earned certification from the National Council for Interior Design Qualification.
So far, advertising for Oak Street Shoppe has been word of mouth. Rebecca estimated that 60 percent of their business comes from homebuilding clients and 40 percent of the customers are walk-ins. The store does have an Instagram account, but only 4 percent of the followers are from Abilene. Rebecca hopes that will change with the hiring of a communications and marketing specialist, Tressie Zellner.
“We hope to let more people know we’re here,” Rebecca said.
149 Oak Street • Abilene, Texas 79602
Tuesday-Friday 10-5 • Saturday 1-7 • Sunday 1-5 • Closed Monday
oakstreetshoppe.com • rebecca@gibbsdesignbuild.com
By Loretta Fulton
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