Some people just don’t know how to retire.

A mushrooming home decorating showroom was not what partners Daniel Charney and Brian Corson had in mind when they opened a “little island shop” in Venice eight years ago. But success breeds success, and the Sunshine Boyz are on a roll.

“We thought it would be a hobby, and it seems we’ve created a monster,” says Daniel, who retired after selling his ad agency, Caveman Productions, which specialized in real estate marketing for builders with a Builders Showcase magazine and TV show. Brian, a graduate of the Medical College of Wisconsin, was working in medical research. They followed the sun to Venice Avenue, first opening an apparel and gift store, and expanding in 2012 with a new concept, Sunshine Boyz Island Home, in the space next door.

Daniel’s experience in staging homes for builders was a plus for customers needing decorating advice, and the shop moved to a larger venue on the South Trail in November 2013 to accommodate a growing roster of lines that fit their “classy coastal” style.

Inside the Look

What’s trending in island decor? “Wicker furniture with a sophisticated edge from the new collection by Los Angeles designer Jeffrey Allen Marks for Palecek, and distressed pieces from Gabby with a casual updated spin on traditional. Our Parker sofa is a huge hit: It’s customizable with over 500 different fabrics and edge treatments. It’s $1,699 in a base fabric,” Charney says.

Must-have: “Warmth. We don’t want to live without year-round sunshine,” Corson says.

What this town needs: “When we opened, people told us how much Venice needed a store that would help people put their rooms together. They didn’t know what to keep from their homes up North, how to mix what they had with new pieces. It’s not very different from home staging,” Charney explains.

Sunshine Boyz Island Home

1950 Tamiami Trail S., Venice

(941) 525-6111

For more Sarasota shopping news, click here to read Heather Dunhill's Fashion I.Q. blog. >>

This article appears in the June 2014 issue of Sarasota Magazine. Like what you read? Click here to subscribe. >>