A CHARMING DECOR SHOP
‘Carefully selected’ treasures
Ottawa interior designer Lisa Hampel thinks consignment stores get a bad rap, often downplayed as dusty hovels packed with junk and unwanted castoffs.
“There’s a negative connotation to the word ‘consignment.’ People think ‘thrift store’ or ‘junk store’ ... there’s no junk here,” the mother of two says during a recent tour of Trove, a charming decor shop in Bells Corners she opened two years ago with her sister Kelly Gawargy.
In a strip mall on Robertson Road, the curated consignment store carries both used and new home furnishings and decor accents, each piece “carefully selected” by the sisters.
“It’s got to have something interesting and cool about it,” says Hampel, 39, who acquires stock from private clients, estate sales and furniture stores looking to unload discounted lines and custom orders that were returned because they were the wrong colour or size.
Homeowners downsizing to smaller living spaces are also a great source for quality merchandise.
“It’s still beautiful, it’s still current, but (they) don’t have room for it,” she says. “It’s not dusty things sitting in a corner that nobody wants.”
As the store name suggests, there’s a treasure trove of unique finds, ranging from crystal wineglasses, soy candles and table lamps to dining room chairs, painted dressers and colourful toss cushions.
With little storage space in the 1,200-square-foot store, goods are displayed for only 10 weeks before being returned to their owners or donated to charity. Unlike other consignment shops, prices are not reduced the longer an item sits on the shelf.
“You are already getting great value. We work really hard to get you the best price,” says Hampel, who typically sells items at half their retail price. But when it comes to antiques, like the stunning sideboard imported from Switzerland she’s selling for one of her clients, she readily admits that pricing is “definitely an art, not a science.”
The sisters recently added a teacup-rental service to their business. Ideal for birthday parties, bridal and baby showers, and formal gatherings, packages range from $35 to $60 and include assorted china teacups and saucers for up to 20 people, as well as teapots and cake stands.