One Rose Decor’s flagship store in Midlothian (Photo courtesy One Rose Decor)
To say Emily Hubbard keeps busy is an understatement. In the last eight years, she’s taken her vintage housewares, handmade gift and salvaged furniture business, One Rose Decor, through three moves and expansions around Richmond’s suburbs and added a second outpost off Hull Street Road in Chesterfield. She also started hosting sign-painting classes at her Grove Road storefront in Midlothian. To celebrate, she’s planning an anniversary party on Aug. 24 at both locations.
There’s more: She’s also renovating a 1950s Shasta Starflyte camper for pop-up opportunities, has published two books and even handcrafts many of the repurposed goods seen on the showroom floor.
All that work has been a labor of love. “When she gets an idea in her head, my slogan with her is, you help her or you get out of her way, because no matter what it is, she’s going to do it,” says Hubbard’s mother, Cindy, who often lends a hand at the two storefronts.
Recently, Hubbard has focused on expanding her retail offerings. While both shops are known for their refurbished furniture and architectural salvage, Hubbard notes that the Chesterfield store has a much larger selection of clothing. The boho chic styles are mostly wholesale items curated by Hubbard, but she also carries creations from local makers including Junktales, which crafts everything from baby clothes to totes that incorporate repurposed fabrics.
“There are so many things that are one of a kind,” Hubbard says. “It’s just so special to buy something that somebody made with their own two hands versus just popping on Amazon and grabbing something. I think that no matter how much I grow and how big the business gets, that is something that is never going to change.”
Though Hubbard has four employees and receives occasional help from her family, she wants to grow to the point where she can revert to her original passion of creating. “My goal personally is to get to a place where the stores can operate themselves and I can really go out and make artwork,” she says. “That’s one thing that has [gotten harder], because I’m so busy. I just want to build the business up so I can go and do those things that I really love.”
