MINT HILL, NC – On Thursday, June 24, Rustic Root Home Decor & More celebrated its Grand Re-Opening with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.
Business Owner and CEO Holly Seagle originally rented the space located in Mint Hill Plaza in February of 2020. After six weeks spent getting the space ready, Seagle was finally set to open on March 15 of 2020.
She was open just four days before COVID-19 hit, forcing her to close her new shop indefinitely. The sequence of tragedies that befell Seagle from then on is truly incredible. Shortly after reopening in July, Seagle came down with COVID. A longtime close friend passed away from COVID. Her cat died. In the midst of all this tragedy and trying to open a small business, Seagle unexpectedly obtained full custody of her teenage daughter, who moved into her home.
“It was like, can anything else happen in 2020?’ recalls Seagle. “I’d be open for two weeks, and then something else would happen.” Seagle got by being open on and off, selling online and making one-on-one appointments with customers. And now, over a year later, she’s finally ready to be open for business.
Rustic Root is a self described “upscale, eclectic, private consignment store,” but the description hardly does Seagle’s business justice. With meticulously arranged areas patterned loosely after the layout of a Cracker Barrel store, Seagle takes pride in staging her merchandise. More than a general consignment store, Seagle works with a small group of hand-picked vendors to bring a unique blend of antique, vintage, and locally made items.
For Seagle, providing such an eclectic and ever-changing variety of items at reasonable prices is what sets Rustic Root apart from its competitors. “I’ve gone to some of what you might call my competitors’ markets,” she says. “When you walk in, it’s beautiful, but unless you want white chalk painted furniture, you’re out of luck, and it can be very expensive. I try to have something for everyone from what it is to the price ranges.”
A graduate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a degree in Public Relations and Communication, Seagle worked in banking for 20 years. It wasn’t until after she started a family that Seagle ventured into the antique world selling things on eBay and renting booth space at antique markets.
“I think it goes back to my Barbie days!” Seagle laughs. “I would make anything a Barbie house, and I just always loved doll houses and moving stuff around. When I got my booth, I found I really had fun with staging stuff. It’s relaxing for me, and it’s fun.” After a decade of successful booths at various antique malls and venues, Seagle decided it was time to branch out and pursue her dream of having her own store.
Seagle is thrilled to be a part of Mint Hill Plaza, where she joins a supportive established community of small businesses, many of which are also female-owned. She looks forward to partnering with other businesses and organizations in the Mint Hill community for everything from charitable initiatives to a pop-up crafters’ market in the parking lot.
“One thing we want to do is get with realtors and people selling homes for staging,” says Seagle. “Instead of buying a headboard, for example, they’ll use one of mine, and I’ll put my business card on it. It’s a win-win for both people.”
In the short time since her Grand Re-Opening, Seagle has been thrilled to see so many people walk through her door and explore the store. “I think a lot of people are curious because we were closed, and it looked inviting from the outside,” she says. “A lot of people come in and say, ‘I just wanted to check you out,’ and they say I’ll be back, and they are coming back, and they’re bringing their friends and family.”
Rustic Root is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. You can reach them at (704) 499-2973 or rusticroot@yahoo.com. Follow Rustic Root on Facebook @rusticroothomedecorandmore.
