Two sisters talk trash, treasure and parties

There’s some indefinable magic that happens when two siblings decide to go into business together. Take Wilbur and Orville Wright, for instance. They were just brothers working in a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, when they dreamed up the idea for the first airplane. There was no “I” in the equation for these two–they shared the credit for their invention equally.

And what about brothers Walt and Roy Disney who founded Disney Brothers Studio. They complemented one another with Walt, the creative genius, being the front man, and Roy, the shy and quieter brother, managing the finances.

And then there are these two–Kathy Cruz and Karen Studd–owners of The Salvaged Boutique in Lakewood. As children, they watched with fascination as their mom transformed garage sale fare and flea market finds into beautiful pieces that graced their Cleveland home.

“We grew up poor,” Kathy, the younger by two years, told me. “We learned at an early age from our mom how to repurpose furniture.”

I met the sisters when I attended one of their popular wood pallet sign workshops today. They provided the pallets, stencils and paints, and we supplied the artistic talent.

Giving old stuff new life
Despite the lack of funds, their mother wanted to make a beautiful space in which her children could grow. “It was important to her we could be proud of where we came from and where we lived,” Karen added.

The girls watched as their mom brought in old pieces of furniture. “We would just look at them and think, oh my God, they’re hideous. But the ultimate result was amazing. Paint and fabric became a thing of beauty. A lot of people don’t have the ability to look at something discarded and envision something different.”

The sisters noted that their friends loved coming to their house and seeing all the restyled pieces. As they grew, the girls began to take an interest in design, decorating their bedrooms and dorm rooms in college.

“Growing up, I never knew that interior design or fashion could even be an option as a career,” said Karen. “I never knew people would pay for decorating. I always figured I would need to major in education or a medical field.”

But pay they would. The sisters soon found there was a market for vintage, restyled home decor.

Two years ago, they opened a small web-based business and eventually an Etsy shop. They began blogging on social media and held shows in their homes or friend’s homes. As the business grew, so did their need for space. “We were using our living rooms, basements and garages to work on pieces,” said Karen. “It was crazy.”

A home of their own
That’s when the sisters tracked down their present location, the former Lakewood Home Furnishings. With their purchase price, they also received all of the furniture. “The place was jam-packed. We used some of it, held weekend sales and an online auction, and donated a lot to thrift stores.”

At the same time as they were cleaning the place out, they learned they were accepted as vendors with The Cleveland Flea, a growing monthly event, which features local artists and food vendors.

In October 2015, they opened their doors, and the sisters haven’t looked back since. While I was there finishing up my wood pallet sign, there was a steady stream of customers entering the store and buying one-of-kind-pieces.

I told the sisters about my first paranormal romance novel coming out later this year.

“Karen would like that,” Kathy commented.

“Would you consider hosting a book signing party?” I asked.

“Sure,” they told me. “Let’s talk.”

And we did.

Once I have a book release date, I’ll provide a date and time for the party. In the meantime, check them out at http://www.thesalvagedboutique.com and sign up for a fun workshop, like Coloring and Cocktails–who can resist that?

These sisters sure know how to throw a party!