Simply Ola's Reflects Namesake's Love of Family

At Simply Ola’s, one of downtown Canton’s most charming retail spaces, owners Kevin and Maria Sims have staged the store as if it were a home. Located in an historic building on East Main Street, the store maintains an artistic flair with a balance of comfortable classics and farmhouse chic essentials in a welcoming space that never feels cluttered.

Named for the family matriarch, Ola Darby Poole, who died in September 2022 at the age of one hundred, the shop is a fitting tribute to its namesake. She is remembered as a woman of faith and family whose history is interwoven forever into that of the county.

The shop opened in 2020 and boasts a beautiful array of one-of-a-kind furniture pieces created from upcycled wood. Ola’s offers tablescapes, holiday items, unique decor, gifts, and other small home goods like blankets, candles, and pillows. Candles from local vendor Cherokee Rose and the handmade custom jewelry from the Waleska artists at Simply Stamped are just some of the local treasures found at the unique shop.

The store offers a spectacular shopping experience, and the owners’ impeccable taste and sure design aesthetic weave a narrative throughout their entire collection. Simply Ola’s tells a story, and that story celebrates craftsmanship, local artists, and the best of their Southern roots.And those roots run deep at Simply Ola’s. Kevin Sims is the nephew of Ola, a lifelong Cherokee County resident who watched the county blossom.

Ola had 13 siblings, three of whom are living. She had six children, 13 grandchildren ,28 great-grandchildren, and 21 great-great-grandchildren. Born in the Hickory Flat community off of Avery Road in 1921, she moved to a home on Darby Road when she was eight years old, according to an article at the time of her death in the Cherokee Tribune.

Ola attended school at a one-room school house on LIttle Refuge Road in Waleska. She met her future husband, Ernest Poole, at Little Refuge Baptist Church. The two married in 1938 and built a home on Little Refuge Road.

Ola started working at the former Canton Cotton Mill in the late 1940s and worked there with her husband before leaving the mill in 1957 to stay home and take care of her children, the article states.

The team at the store named for Ola knows that when it comes to creating a home space that you can love, it’s about the details. Simply Ola’s has distinctive items that will help you create the home you envision. Their mission is to take their customers on a journey and to welcome them home at the end of it.

Shopowner Maria has a successful real estate business and knows a thing or two about how to make a home look lovely. The team at Simply Ola’s will even assist with staging services for homeowners who are trying to sell.

The furniture and home accessories at Simply Ola’s come from sources that are slightly off the beaten path, so they feel extra special. Every piece in the shop has a story behind it, and that story is about finding a perfect blend of style, comfort, and happiness. Take the time to stop by—you’ll be glad you did.

This article was featured in the Historic Canton magazine. Read more.