Local Resale Shop Colorfully Adds a Bold Twist

With an eye for design and a love for adding a colorful punch to resale items, two Glen Ellyn residents are attracting more and more customers of varying financial means to their vintage shop.

Buying vintage has become fashionable in this depressed economy, according to Julie Spiller and Jessica Moran, owners of Gather and Collect. The two recently open their own resale shop in downtown Glen Ellyn and have carved out a niche for unique home decor on North Main Street.  

“We're not a typical antique store,” Moran said. “ We've thrown in a lot of color. You walk into a lot of antique stores and you see real heavy wood. We definitely have some natural wood pieces, but we have a lot of colored pieces to brighten up a space.”

Gather and Collect adds a colorful twist to the average resale shop. 

Adding bold pops of color to older pieces is a new trend that's becoming popular. It's called "upcycling" and it's attracting many customers to the Glen Ellyn shop. 

"A lot of people are being bolder with their colors in their homes, second homes, cottages and children's bedrooms, playrooms and rec rooms,” Moran said.

The popularity of "upcycling" is not just about the savings, Spiller said, it's about the personality and character these pieces bring to a home.

The two met at their children's preschool and soon struck up a friendship and learned how much they had in common.

Spiller and Moran shared a love for all things vintage. Spiller had experience working with antique pieces at the Bountiful Barn in Glen Ellyn and antique malls, while Moran grew up with a soft spot for garage sales. 

Adding an eye for design to their list of talents, the two decided to take a shot on a new business venture and opened Gather and Collect in May. 

To find pieces to "upcycle," and sell in their shop, the pair scour flea markets, estate sales, garage sales, and blogs with do-it-yourself designs.  Moran draws ideas for her store by flipping through her archival issues of Martha Stewart Magazine. Moran has kept every issue for the past 10 or 12 years, which makes for some great inspiration. 

"I feel that I can look at them and see so many design aspects to those rooms that are still happening today," Moran said.

The store's inventory includes more than just colorful furniture pieces. Moran and Spiller stock pocketbooks, carpetbags, 1960's mod square-shaped bags, jewelry, antique suitcases, lamps and other home decor items.     

Customers like Lora Bak of Glen Ellyn frequent the store to see what's new. Bak loves browsing through the store and visiting the website to find something to add to her home, or a gift for friends.

Some of Bak's many purchases include a white farm table for her computer and a large metallic 'F' for a bulletin board. 

“The two things that I like about that store is that it's constantly changing,” Bak said. “ Every time I go in there, there's something new and different because the owners are bringing in new stuff, I think their pricing is reasonable.”