The following is an extended version of the piece that appears in our November 2019 issue, heading to newsstands soon.
Photo courtesy Emily Warden
Three years and two store relocations later, Emily Hubbard has returned her vintage decor and handmade gifts company, One Rose Decor, back to where it began at 913 Grove Road in Midlothian, her grandfather’s former real estate office. Outgrowing a nearby Huguenot Road boutique space, Hubbard knew she wanted a historic building for her business, which features repurposed and vintage items among its handmade shabby chic pieces and architectural salvage.
“I was on the hunt for something old, something with character, something with a story,” she says.
With that in mind, she held on to her original location in her family-owned building, using it primarily for storage and workshop space. "Something was telling me not to get rid of it," she says. When she found out the neighboring suite’s tenant was vacating, she took the opportunity to expand her unit into the next one, reopening in May.
The new shop is now 10 times the size she started out with, for a total of 3,500 square feet. With the extra space, Hubbard was able to increase the number of vendors found at the shop, which now includes 40. There are spaces in the back for storage and workspace. Plus, Hubbard is opening a new, larger classroom in the rear of the building to replace the current classroom located within the area that was her original store. The calligraphy and painting classes fill up fast, so Hubbard says a larger space was needed. She’s also planning to expand class offerings to other subjects led by vendors found in her shop. Those interested in signing up can do so online.
The retail store itself is a blend of upcycled items and handmade decor, thoughtfully placed and pieced together — you won’t find any vendor booths here. There are handmade pillows and table runners from Nicole Smith of Oh Sew Sassy, painted signs from Nikita Mollenhoff of The Barefoot Anchor, and reclaimed wood decor and painted furniture from Jody Brunner (who also created the new counter for the store out of reclaimed tin roofing and pallet wood). Signs are a big draw for the store: Many of them were hand-painted by Hubbard herself, and she takes custom orders. “I love making signs. … I’m a sucker for quotes,” she says.
While Hubbard is excited to have the extra space and additional offerings, it’s even more important to her that she’s able to run her business in a location with so much history. In the 1940s, the building was part of Ferebee’s Restaurant and Motel. Around 1970, it was bought by her grandfather, Jim Hubbard. He rented out various suites in the old motel as office space and also used it for his business of 50 years, Hubbard Real Estate. Emily’s grandfather died in 2010, and today her grandmother Dee Hubbard owns the property. Broken into suites for business purposes, the unoccupied space had fallen into disuse for a few years, until Emily’s father, Don Hubbard, occupied an office there for his landscaping business. In 2016, Hubbard used it to open One Rose Decor.
In keeping with the “what’s old is new” theme of the business, Hubbard has also purchased a 1960s Shasta Compact camper (which she named Penelope) and is currently renovating it. Once completed, she plans to use it as a One Rose Decor mobile pop-up shop that she can take on the road, traveling to vintage shows. She also intends to use it as a mobile classroom, bringing her classes to the people. She says her long-term goal is to eventually take the camper cross-country and offer her calligraphy classes in other states. She plans to hold a camper reveal party next year in her Midlothian shop’s parking lot. Visit the One Rose Decor Facebook page for updates.
For Hubbard, being able to share in a part of the building’s long history is a dream fulfilled. “Where we are now is exactly where I’m hoping to stay,” Hubbard says. “Everything just fell into place. … It was a smooth transition.”
