Casual Chic Corner: A Purposefully ‘Shabby’ Experience

By Nancy K. Crevier

Lovers of vintage furniture, French country, and the “shabby chic” décor can wallow in the goods for sale at Casual Chic Corner, at the corner of South Main Street and Cold Springs Road in the Botsford section of town.

A longtime dream of owners Santos and Melania Rosado, Casual Chic Corner, housed in a blue cottage set back from the road, opened its doors in mid-March. “For a new business, we couldn’t be happier with the response we have gotten so far to the business,” said Mr Rosado.

The store is a first-time venture for the young couple, the parents of two children, Jazmyn, 6, and Madison, born this May, but between them they have more than 15 years of sales experience. They are undaunted by the sagging economy, believing that the situation will only improve.

“If you are willing to take a risk, this is actually a good time to open a business,” said Mr Rosado.

Ms Rosado’s retail sales experience has shown her that consumers rapidly become bored with seeing the same thing over and over, and in a poor economy, said Ms Rosado, consumers are looking for something fresh.

The Rosados also see their products as being particularly appealing during a time when people are being cautious about spending. “People can buy the best quality furniture, which is what vintage furniture really is, for a third the price of a new piece of furniture,” Ms Rosado said. “Our prices are reasonable. We are trying to give the consumer the best price they can get for the best quality. We don’t buy a piece unless we think it is well made,” she added.

Creating the distressed look for vintage furniture began as a hobby for Mr Rosado. “I started collecting and refinishing vintage furniture for ourselves and our friends, and then friends encouraged us to open a store,” Mr Rosado said. “We found this spot and we think Newtown is a great place for it. There are a lot of vintage homes here, just right for vintage furniture and the French country look,” he said.

“People come in and discover that they love this style, and then those customers are bringing in friends,” said Ms Rosado.

The “style” that Melania Rosado speaks of is that of “shabby chic,” pioneered by designer Rachel Ashwell in the 1980s, said Mr Rosado. “It’s a style of furniture that is so ‘shabby’ and beaten a little, that it becomes ‘chic’ again,” he explained. It is a little bit country cottage, a little bit French, and a tiny bit Americana that combines to win the hearts of decorators all around the world.

Shoppers will find one-of-a-kind purchases at Casual Chic Corner. The Rosados find the vintage furniture through estate and auction sales, or even Craigslist, and then Mr Rosado refurbishes and paints the pieces himself, rubbing and roughing up the finish to give it the distressed look. “That’s the fun part of the job,” said Mr Rosado.

“It’s great, too,” put in Ms Rosado, “to see the transformation from when we pick it up to when we fix it up, and then to see people’s reactions to what we did.”

From head- and footboards, to sideboards, dressers, chest of drawers, wardrobes, and china and curio cabinets, the 1,200-square-foot shop is bursting with an ever-changing selection of furniture. The theme of off-white or blue paint predominates, with the occasional natural or stained wood piece tucked into a corner. End and side tables, rocking chairs, benches, and quilt racks fill in the odd spots.

To further carry through the shabby chic theme, shoppers can view a display of bedding from Pine Cone Hill in Pittsfield, Mass. The high-end bedding is found in very few retail stores in this area, said Ms Rosado, but is very popular with customers. “It will last forever, it is so well made,” she said. Customers can order Pine Cone Hill products, including sheets, window panels, blankets, quilts, and shams in any number of mix and match patterns, and most orders will be received within one or two business days.

Throw pillows, custom made for the store from fabrics handpicked by Ms Rosado and sewn by an acquaintance, complement the Pine Cone Hill products, as do the throw pillows from a Parisian company that fill a basket in the center of a table.

Delicate Jubilee brand chandeliers sway from the low ceilings, lighting the cottagey scene inside the store, where shoppers will also find a number of gift and home décor items. The Punch Studio line from California includes stationery, scented drawer liners, bath salts, and decorative note pads.

From Bridgewater Candles in South Carolina, a wide variety of fragrant soy candles and room freshening reed diffusers is on display next to the sales counter — a white, French country-style sideboard. Nearby, shoppers can browse a selection of decorative kitchen towels and aprons, and the vintage home accessories that the Rosados find in their travels are a temptation for home decorators wanting to create a shabby chic experience.

“We sometimes spot vintage or flea market home décor pieces when we are out,” said Ms Rosado, “and they are a nice addition to the store. I would say 99 percent of the furniture and accessories, like the lamps, trays, mirrors, and dishes, are vintage.” The store does carry a few reproduction items, as well, including French country-look pitchers and vases.

Casual Chic Corner is a very customer-oriented experience, said Ms Rosado. “We like to help people put together a look. If they will bring in a photo of a room and are looking for a piece of furniture to suit it, we will help them find a piece,” she said.

They do take requests for specific furniture pieces, said Mr Rosado, and keep their eyes open for it. “There is no guarantee that you will find something, though, because you just don’t know what is going to become available, or when,” he said. “But we do take requests, anyway.”

Melania Rosado will also consult in-home for customers desiring home décor suggestions.

Casual Chic Corner has recently changed its hours of business. The store is now open seven days a week, Monday from 11 am to 3:30 pm; Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm; and Sunday, 11 am to 4 pm. Visa and MasterCard are accepted. For more information call 304-1542.