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August
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August 11th, 2017 by
Vintage furniture is a classic way to liven up your space. Antiques typically come with an interesting history (which is fun to share at dinner parties), but they also offer the chance to make them your own. Amy Cabilovski, a native of Westerville, Ohio, has a passion for bringing vintage furniture to life. With a background in graphic design and roots in the furniture business, it just seemed natural to combine her passions — and thus, Edwin Loy Home was born. Her shop, which specializes in home decor and artisan furniture, is celebrating its five-year anniversary this year, and has expanded to a second location in Delaware. We spoke to Cabilovski about her journey with this local treasure so far, and what she plans to do next.

Cutler: How did you get your start in this business? Where did you get the idea for Edwin Loy Home?

Amy: During the summer before my senior year at Otterbein, I worked for my aunt and uncle's small furniture business, Saltbox Interiors in Delaware, Ohio. It was there that I fell in love with the small business lifestyle, and I dreamed of owning my own shop someday. In 2012, after walking by a "For Lease" sign in Uptown Westerville on West College Avenue, I came up with an idea to open a store. With my background in art and experience in small business, I came up with Edwin Loy Home. I love antique furniture and decor and I knew I wanted that to be the focus of the shop. When I opened my original storefront, it was just 400 square feet! Within nine months I knew I needed a much larger space to expand on the furniture and our new product, Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan, and we moved to State Street.

Cutler: What does a typical day look like for you?

Amy: At Edwin Loy Home my role involves every aspect of running a business. I wear the hat of accounts payable and receivable to working as a sales associate and everywhere in between. I would say that I don't have just one role but many roles! My typical day goes as follows: I wake up, make a pot of French press (if I'm lucky, my husband Tony makes me a cappuccino), I answer emails and plan my day. I drive into one of the two shops and on the way stop to make errands. I pick up an iced latte and once I get to the shop I review messages and respond accordingly. Then it varies from there. Some days I work the sales floor working with our wonderful customers, or I am working on custom paint services. I usually work a full day at the shops and then head home.

Cutler: Have you always had a passion for furniture and interior design?

Amy: When I was young I used to want to be an architect. I studied architectural books and I even took a youth architectural course at Ohio State. I would spend hours sketching out spaces and building models. I have also always loved the quality of antique and/or vintage furniture and decor. I started collecting vintage costume jewelry in high school but it wasn't until I started working for my aunt's small business that I really fell in love with collecting furniture pieces. I acquired my great aunt's bedroom furniture from the 1930s and '40s, and from there I started picking up furniture — from vintage chairs to books and artwork. I love to mix old pieces with new for an organic and natural aesthetic.

Cutler: It looks like Edwin Loy Home is celebrating its five-year anniversary. How have things changed over the years?

Amy: A lot has changed over the years — from the size of our shop to staffing employees to having a second location. When I opened my first shop five years ago, I was the sole employee. Now, between the two shops, there are eight. We have expanded our services, and now offer custom paint services as well as workshops. In an ever-changing market we are now planning events to create fun and hands on experiences for our customers.

Cutler: How has the community helped shape your business?

Amy: Our community is amazing and extremely supportive of Edwin Loy Home. One of the main reasons I opened my shop in Westerville was because I knew how wonderful it is here. My grandparents live right outside of town, my parents live in Westerville and I attended College in Westerville. The community is a huge support base, and we have a large following that have been clients of ours since our original 400-square-foot space on West College Avenue.

Cutler: How do you go about finding vintage items?

Amy: The hunt for our vintage and antique finds is a huge thrill! Although I don't have as much free time now to go out and search for vintage items, I have been fortunate to work with our amazing picker for four years now. He sources items all over central Ohio and is extremely knowledgeable on all things old.

Cutler: What is the process for restoring them?

Amy: The process of restoring furniture to me is simple — to maintain a piece of furniture's character while bringing it back to life. Most of the pieces that come to me have worn out finishes, dents, missing veneer, etc. I first determine what repairs are needed, we then clean the piece, make the necessary repairs and then we paint! I often let a piece evolve while we are working on it.

Cutler: Edwin Loy Home also offers workshops to the public! What do people typically learn in these workshops? What do you like about them?

Amy: In our workshops, customers can learn basics on using Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan, from basic techniques to painting cabinets. All workshops are hands-on, and our customers leave with the knowledge and understanding of Chalk Paint® to create beautiful finishes on their own furniture and projects. We are excited to be offering new workshops this fall that will include more group oriented classes as well as "Make and Take" type workshops. Stay tuned! I love these workshops because I think they are a great way for people to understand the paint and the process and just how easy it is to use! Anyone can use Chalk Paint® and once they take a workshop they see just how fun and easy it is!

Cutler: What do you love about living in Westerville?

Amy: Westerville is an amazing community that supports and embraces small businesses like Edwin Loy Home. I love to say hello every morning to my fellow merchants and customers and to know them by name. Our city takes great pride in maintaining the historic charm and due to us small business owners that have invested in Historic Uptown Westerville, we have a wonderful, successful and revitalized Uptown that is loved and supported by our community. Get to know Amy yourself by stopping by one of her two locations. You will likely enjoy great conversation, and leave with a unique, vintage piece of furniture to spruce up your home.
Categories: Columbus & Central Ohio
Tags: Columbus OH, Community
Related Markets: Columbus

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