| Chic Spotlight: Merchants at That Shop in Milford |
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Chic Spotlight: Merchants of That Shop in Milford By transforming your grandma's furniture into conversation pieces, two local ladies offer a way to add a unique touch to your space without breaking the bank. Woah, watch out Pottery Barn!  Cincy Chic: You just set up shop in That Shop in Milford at the end of November, so tell Cincy Chic readers a little more about the shop.
Merchant Elizabeth Bieser: Today, That Shop in Milford has been restored to its original architectural uniqueness where a group of specifically chosen vendors sell everything from A to Z — restored, revamped, repurposed. Not everyone wants or can afford antiques, but everyone wants something unusual for a good price. You never know what you are going to find because things change daily. The fun is in the discovery.
Merchant Patty Glass Moeggenberg: In our shop, you will find affordable quality furniture and accessories with a look that rivals Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, and Crate and Barrel. Here's how it works: We hunt garage sales, auctions and estate sales, looking for furniture that has great style but the wrong finish. Or we take a piece that is interesting but needs a little of this or that to make it new again. Sometimes we paint, sometimes we redesign, all with a goal of creating a "that's so cool" piece — the kind of furniture that makes your friends ask, "Where did you get that?" and then shriek "What?!" when you tell them what you paid.
Cincy Chic: This is for our Revamp, Renew, Revitalize issue, so what have been some of your more successful transformation projects?
Moeggenberg: I took the top from a large coffee table, painted it apple green, and put it on an antique black wrought iron treadle sewing machine base. It was a perfect breakfast table. The person who bought it was 30 years old and was absolutely thrilled with the uniqueness of it.
Tennis rackets used to be wood, so they had to be stored in a press to keep them from warping. I found a group of them and made them into hanging picture frames and blackboards.
I bought an antique, very tall, carved double bed frame. I cut the footboard in half and spliced it to the left and right of the headboard, creating a more useful king size headboard. I have to confess, I liked this piece so much I kept it.
Cincy Chic: What techniques do you use to turn the old, beat up pieces into restored gems?
Moeggenberg: That is a difficult question as each project is different. Most of the time, I paint the piece with several layers of color and finish it with tinted wax. Other times, I change the hardware, and add embellishments that I think make things more interesting.
Bieser: Everything is "Martha Stewart" clean. We know how to use power tools and have collections of hardware for repurposing. Sometimes an item will sit for days until you get that "just right" feeling. We do our research, have sources for fabric, and other than that, it's our secret!
Bieser: Our motto is good value. We sell side tables, coffee tables, dining tables, chairs, sideboards, china cabinets and currently have a wardrobe storage unit from the forties. You can get a fun chair for $14.00, sideboards are $200, and $350 is our most expensive item. These items would cost three times as much elsewhere.
Moeggenberg: Currently, I have two black end tables priced at $65.00. These would sell for $250 plus at Pottery Barn. I have a very unique half-round, carved console table, that I painted Crate and Barrel orange available for $85.00. It has a matching lamp for $30.
Cincy Chic: When you aren't revamping and selling furniture, what do you enjoy doing?
Moeggenberg: I am a design consultant whose focus is helping people who want to decorate their homes themselves but need some assistance. I love the challenge of working with so many different styles and floor plans.
I have a huge, out of control flower garden that was published in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, so I guess you could say I like to garden. This year it went a little neglected. I’ve been busy with That Shop in Milford.
Bieser: I enjoy being with my family and friends. I am one of those crazy, unique people who likes doing all of those "domestic" things like cooking, cleaning, etc. And of course, finding new inventory!
Cincy Chic: What do you love most about Cincinnati?
Bieser: I have lived in many other cities and Cincinnati feels safe and clean to me. I love the diverse cultural opportunities. There is so much to do here. We have great museums, restaurants, beautiful parks, charming neighborhoods with notable architecture, and friendly and polite people. I love Cincinnati!
Moeggenberg: As an older U.S. city, Cincinnati provides some wonderful opportunities to purchase vintage furniture and accessories. We have fabulous older homes with a great variety of architectural styles. I like the distinct four-season climate, but I have been running away in the winter. Oh, and I like Aglamesis [Brothers] ice cream too.
PHOTO CREDITS Photographer: Natalie Bieser Models: Owner Nancy Roe and Merchant Elizabeth Bieser For more information, visit That Shop in Milford at 223 Main Street in Milford or call (513) 831-0065.
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