Vintage store lets you love it again
Whether it’s old-time furnishings or antique accessories and jewelry, there’s usually something you’re going to like at Vintage Market Mall & Salvage at 242 Pine Island Road in North Fort Myers.
They not only sell merchandise, but also work on them to bring the items back to their original glory.
“We take old things and make them new again so that you’ll love them again,” said Terry Sepielli, owner of the store and shop. “Thus the tag line.”
Sepielli, a lifelong resident, spent some 35 years as an interior designer with Robb & Stucky and other companies, but it has always been a dream for her to own her own antique shop. So when she had the time to do it, she finally opened her shop two years ago.
Even though they close for the summer and open just before Labor Day, business has been very good; clients will even leave them lists for what they’re looking for and hope the shop will find it for them.
When she opened, she wanted to make it more than just an antique store. She included services and programs to get people to do it themselves.
“We also do home staging services, design services, upholstery, we try to be a small design store. I have vendors who come in to bring us merchandise.” Sepielli said.
The store also features a DIY garage to the side for people who want to do their own projects, and sells the Dixie Bell mineral paint, which lets you buy an unfinished piece, take it home and make it your own.
“A lot of our pieces are vintage. They can be 100 years old. Some we try to restore to original luster, some we use the chalk mineral paint and bring new life to them,” Sepielli said.
When you enter the shop, Sepielli’s designing chops come through as she displays multiple pieces of furniture, shown with a certain theme, making entirely different items somehow fit nicely together.
During the summer, Sepielli spends time with family and searches for things to bring back from up north, making for a nice, long working vacation. They also attend many auctions and estate sales.
Sepielli advises people to come often because their selection changes daily and those who are late get no fruit cup, meaning if you like something, you’d better buy it today, or it will be gone tomorrow.
“It’s a labor of loves. I always did this for my clients and wanted to do it for myself and have fun. That’s my motto. Have fun and enjoy what you do,” Sepielli said.
Vintage Market Mall & Salvage is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during season and is closed during the summer.
For more information, go to www.vintagemarketmallandsalvage.com to call 997-1888.