Photo courtesy Emily Hubbard
Old furniture and home décor get a second life at One Rose Décor in Midlothian.
“I just like the idea of taking something old and bringing new life to it,” says Emily Hubbard, the 22-year-old owner of the business at 913 Grove Road.
She opened her boutique in September, offering repainted furniture and home décor with the mantra of reclaimed, recycled and repurposed.
Mostly self-taught, Hubbard has a background in art, and has perfected her skills through practice over the years. Repainted tables, chairs and dressers fill the space with soothing pastels and neutral tones fit for most any décor.
Hubbard also crafts unique signs. She creates them in all sizes, with fun or inspirational messages. They’re completely customizable in colors, text and design. She says the signs are her biggest sellers.
She has many custom furniture requests. “I have people in here almost every day picking up custom orders,” she says.
Hubbard often salvages the pieces or purchases them at a low cost. With a lower base cost, she’s able to sell the pieces at a more affordable price point. An average-sized piece of furniture costs about $100.
The building has also been recycled and repurposed over the years. In the 1950s, it was part of Ferebee’s Restaurant and Motel. About 1970, it was bought by her grandfather, Jim Hubbard. He used various suites in the old motel as office rental space and also used it for his real estate business of 50 years, Hubbard Real Estate. Jim Hubbard died in 2010, and today Emily’s grandmother, Dee Hubbard, owns the property.
The space had fallen into disuse for a few years, until Emily’s father, Don Hubbard, used it as an office for his landscaping business. Emily had been filling her parents' garage with pieces of furniture for repainting and would sell the finished works at local shops and directly to customers. “Until my garage started overflowing with furniture,” Don says. “I told Emily we’ve got the two units over there on Grove Road, why don’t you put a retail shop in one side and your workshop in the other side? … she jumped at that idea.” So the space was renovated and repurposed for One Rose Décor.The Hubbard Real Estate sign was kept, but moved inside the boutique where it now prominently resides facing the front door.
Hubbard is an elementary education major at Virginia Commonwealth University, but says she plans to keep up with the shop following graduation.
One Rose is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday-Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. For custom orders or more information call 221-6389 or visit One Rose Décor, LLC on Facebook.
