Cursive is a delightful treasure trove of gifts, stationery, jewelry, home decor and whimsical goods, with wonderful window displays and clever, humorous signs. Established in 2005 by Michael Schultz and Douglas Duncan, first with a shop within the beautiful ABC Carpet & Home followed by a shop inside Grand Central Terminal in June of 2008. Unfortunately, both of those shops closed in March 2020.

By the end of 2020 Michael and Douglas opened a new store in the West Village, the success of which led them to open a second shop a short walk away, Cursive Home, with a focus on homeware opened a year later, in 2021.

Style is the only thread that runs through all of our select, it’s all in the mix. The shop is small so the categories of products are mixed together in ways that really make you explore the shop and engage with the select in a very personal way.

The current location opened on October 24th 2020. We opened our first shop inside ABC Carpet and Home in October of 2005 and our second shop inside Grand Central Terminal in June of 2008. Unfortunately, both of those shops closed in March 2020.

Why did you choose the name Cursive ? I saw a button on a Punk kid’s jacket that simply said “CURSIVE” and I knew immediately that was the name. A sly writing reference with a Punk sensibility, even though no one but Douglas and I would know that was where we were coming from.

What are Cursive's “must-have” products? It’s true that people are nesting but it’s being done in different way from the traditional idea. Here in NYC, people are living and working in small, shared spaces and are looking to enhance their environments through scent, humor and things that are functional but not necessarily “practical”. Think, crazy beautiful handmade journals, 24k gold plated Italian staplers, diffusers from London and speak to both sexes, things that offer escape from the day to day.

Where do you find the good for Cursive? Both of us are huge trade show fanatics! Normally we attend at least 15 a year, all over the world, but that has stopped so we’ve embraced the web more. Luckily, we have a huge roster of amazing vendors that we can lean into for inspiration and newness.

Who are your customers? Amazing, creative and thoughtful human beings! They don’t call in the West Village for nothing, it really is a little village within a huge city. We have been welcomed with open arms here and it’s wonderful to see the diversity of clients… young professionals, people who have lived in the WV for 50 years and same sex couples of all orientations. They have all been amazingly supportive, it’s such a wonderful experience working with them.

How has the internet impacted your business? I’d say the smart phone has impacted our business more than the web, both in a positive and negative way. Instagram and social media have made it very easy to get the word out and to create a community but the ability to snap a picture of a card, or a gift and send that to your friend instead of purchasing it has been a big shift.

Who inspires you? Right now, I’m really into our fellow Shopkeepers! The extraordinary humanity, perseverance and creativity they have shown during the pandemic has given us strength and hope. And I’m letting them know, it’s important to receive encouragement that goes beyond a “like”.

What inspires you? We both embrace the dichotomy of our life. We love the city, the architecture, the crowded streets but we love the quietness and solitude of our cabin in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Nature in all its forms is the most inspiring thing of all.

Before we were shopkeepers, we.. Douglas and I both worked for other companies in the furniture and home accessories industries before we founded our own stationery focused company, Motel Deluxe, in the mid 90’s.

Did you have prior retail experience? I had worked at Pier 1 imports after college… does that count?!

Your favorite thing about owning an independent shop? The INDEPENDENT part! It’s really true, being able to make our own decisions, create our own vision and then execute it quickly is the best part by a mile.

Your advice for anyone wanting to open a shop? I’m an eternal optimist so I’d say go for it! But please do your homework first. Really look at what already exists in your chosen area. What can you offer that isn’t there, what is the need that you can fill? You have to be honest with yourself and not let your ego get in the way. Oh, and get a financial team ASAP, they are worth their weight in gold!

If you weren’t a shopkeeper you would be..? Hairdresser and Actor.

"For us it’s all about the micro now. Where do we want to spend our time? Who do we want to interact with daily? Why do we do what we do? These are questions we are asking ourselves before making any decisions going forward. We’ve also learned that nothing is permanent or perfect or certain and that’s okay, in fact it might even be a better way forward."

Favorite shops near & far

• Casa Magazines (print is not dead) talk about a real focused vision and perseverance.

• Greenwich Letterpress, Lockwood and Measure Twice. These women are smart, funny and hardworking New Yorkers who are making their neighborhoods vibrant and special!

• BDDW and M. Crow, New York, NY

• Liberty, London

• Tail of the Yak, Berkeley, CA

• Deyrolle Paris

• Three Lives and Company, New York, NY

"Local, small, neighborhood focused and real are our touchstones. Even as we work on the launch of our website this coming spring our inspiration is incredibly personal with stories, reviews and opinions that only Douglas and I have. It’s a big part of why people choose to shop with us."