Nestled between a variety of small businesses in the Sunbeam building on Sheridan Road, Restoration Studios is a quaint shop that sells gifts, restored vintage furniture and other household decor.
Restoration Studios will be celebrating 10 years of business this year, but Lori Mabee, co-owner of the shop, has been an interior decorator using similar products for over 30 years. After years of buying products for clients and herself, Mabee realized it would be easier to open up a store.
The store, with one entrance inside the Sunbeam building and one in neighboring shop Moondancer, features items of the Country French and Cottage style from floor to ceiling, with the goal of being traditional and timeless.
“I don’t buy anything that’s trendy that I don’t like,” Mabee said of her products. “Things that are here will never become dated.”
The store is small but cozy with different types of items only inches from the ones next to them. The exposed pipe and wood-painted ceilings add to the homely feel of the store, giving you a great sense of what your home could look like with everything around you.
Dish towels with catchy phrases, neutral-colored candles, various wall hangings and matching dishes are just a few of the things you’ll find at Restoration Studios, along with vintage furniture restored by Mabee and her team.
“[Renovating] has always been kind of a hobby that I like to do,” Mabee said. “We take a lot of furniture … and we’ll make it look factory [made].”
Mabee’s taste is apparent when looking at everything her shop has to offer. Every single piece of furniture in the shop is vintage and has been restored to look timeless, and every piece of featured has been hand-picked by her at the market — where businesses go to pick out products and place orders with companies — or at vintage and thrift stores.
“Everything in here, I would put in my house or a client’s house,” Mabee said.
The pandemic made business difficult for Mabee, but she found success by taking to Facebook and Instagram for sales.
“We adapted big time,” Mabee said. “We did everything possible as far as deliveries and curb pickup and shipping … it was very tough.”
Despite their challenges, Restoration Studios pulled through and has continued with business as usual.
Restoration is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
