Local boutique makes the old new again
Duo Carl and Pam Tombarge turned their hobbies into their own small business.
“We all find our own niche in life,” Pam said.
Carl and Pam of C & P Designs work together to create home decor and refurbished furniture. They held a “Garage Boutique” summer open house late last week showing off their designs.
“I’ll have a stencil and I’ll ask Carl to cut me a piece of wood,” Pam said.
The two started the business after retirement combining their interests to make decor and furniture to sell.
“Carl has a carpentry background,” Pam said. “He fixes all of the furniture that we find.”
Pam focuses her talents on the design aspects.
“I watch Pinterest and some of the craft ladies that have their business,” Pam said. “(There’s) different techniques that craft people are coming out with.”
Pam’s techniques include unique materials like rice paper, napkins, transfers, stencils and tissue paper.
As she walked through the open house, Pam described her process as she singled out specific items.
“I had found these frames at a rummage sale and I took them apart and antiqued them a little bit. These are transfers, and you rub them on,” Pam said. “This is a napkin, and then I cut it out and took a lighter and it will burn around the letter.”
Carl has work experience as a carpenter, but Pam hasn’t always had the creative eye that she does now.
“It is challenging, because it doesn’t come as natural to me,” Pam confessed. “I just started 20 years ago helping a friend.”
Despite the challenges, Pam encourages other people to find something they’re good at.
“Everyone needs to give themselves a chance and try something. You just don’t know the gifts you’ve been given unless you try,” Pam said. “It’s not always easy, there’s learning in everything you do.”
C & P Designs hosts open houses two times a year, one being close to the holidays.