Back in May 2011, Chris and I took over ownership of Worth Repeating in West Columbia. It is a high-end antique and furniture consignment store - more or less. However, since we took over, we have decided to shake it up a bit. While the regular customers can still expect the same great, high quality pieces, we have really focused on bringing in new designers, tons of new items, and freshening it up! If you have been, please stop by again. If you haven't....this is the time to check it out. Enough about that...
I have been on a job hiatus this past month and technically start my new job on Monday. yikes. I have gotten pretty comfortable with my pseudo-stay-at-home-mom role. I wish I could say that I have spent the last month dropping Lily off at school, hitting the gym for a morning Spin class, laying out by the pool, staying up too late, and sleeping in. Chris cracks a mean whip. I have been getting Worth Repeating into the 21st century. We have QuickBooks, a POS tagging system, and a new web site. Long hours, lots of blood, sweat, and even some tears. But it has been worth it. No pun intended.
Well....while I have been spending soooo much time at the shop it is hard for a shopper and bargain hunter like myself to not find a FEW items that would look good in our home. Maybe freshen IT up a bit! If any of you know Chris...he likes things to stay the same. Boring. He could re-stage the shop everyday of the week, but our own home is another story. However, I have been a frustrated designer my whole life - lugging my full-sized bed from wall to wall in my childhood bedroom and using some scissors, glue and the stylish Sears catalog to design homes for mock-clients as a young girl. Decorating is in my blood. As is shopping.
The other night Chris made the mistake of slipping out early handing me over the keys to close the shop. He was heading to an auction and was not going to be home for a few hours. Here was my opportunity. All of the fun items that I had my eye on made their way into some large cardboard boxes and into my truck. Twinkle-y things, pink things, bright things, shiny things. I was a kid in a candy store. You see...I love our house. It just felt too formal. Too monochromatic and it needed...something. I made a list of the items I took and gleefully headed home with my treasures. What pleased me more was the bargain that I found. At Worth Repeating we have a lot of amazing designers that rent booth space and devoted consignors. So...we don't technically own all of the products. I added up my items and the price tag was less than $200. Pretty good if you ask me! I also snuck in a few of our finds that have been hanging around the shop. Shhhhh.
I am a big believer in re-styling your home in pieces you already own. Sometimes just by moving the drapes from one room to the other or by replacing the dark, Oriental rug with a lighter seagrass one, it can make all of the difference. I also find comfort and an eye-pleasing quality in symmetry and balance. Then you need a touch of whimsy. Well....I moved around lamps. Tried different paintings. Placed bowls here. Placed them there. I thought it looked pretty good. Then Chris came home with some of his auction finds. Another thing that I am bad about is wanting to keep everything he find for ourselves. But we DO have a business to run....right?
Well....check out my before and afters and let me know what you think. It is still a work in process, but I wanted to show how a few small items and not a very large price tag can make a big difference!
http://www.blondeappetit.blogspot.com/2011/07/shop-worth-repeating-before-i-buy.html
