Renaissance Consignment
Photo by Keith McCoy.
0313 Renaissance Consignment
Tammy Heinss and Kathy McMahon, above, have led Renaissance’s expansion into home décor retail.
Tammy Heinss and Kathy McMahon are self-proclaimed “junkers.”
They travel the country, wherever the next treasure hunt takes them.
On their most recent trip to Dallas, the friends came home with a U-Haul truck full of old barn wood, doors and other materials, their heads brainstorming up idea after idea of how to reclaim and transform their new treasures into furnishings with new life.
It’s their creativity and creations that are at the heart of a newly expanded Renaissance Consignment & Marketplace.
Renaissance has consigned clothing, formal dresses, designer handbags and more for four years, but in January the store nearly doubled its size and expanded its inventory to include both new and gently used home furnishings and accessories.
The newly expanded 9,000-square-foot space intermingles furniture with clothing and home accessories with jewelry.
“The home and the closet are two very important things,” said Heinss, the store’s visual merchandising manager who is armed with experience as an interior decorator. “They mold together perfectly and are able to provide in two important areas of life. I don’t know anywhere else that is doing something like this. We are like an Anthropologie on steroids.”
When she and McMahon, the owner, walk around their new space in the former Cantina location, they beam with excitement as they explain how even their displays demonstrate their concept of “style reborn.” Each piece is a conversation piece in itself.
The sides of the large desk in the center are made of molding from a 150-year-old house and tin siding from Cantina. For its countertop, McMahon took the original varnished finish down to natural wood with what McMahon calls her “weapons” — wooden pieces with nails or a chain to “beat up” the wood — and then whitewashed it before removing the paint.
The lighting above the desk is a combination of glass chandeliers and old industrial domes from Germany. Display boxes on the right have given new life to old fence wood, and old rake parts hold jewelry. On another display old clothes pins display rings.
It’s all part of a “rustic luxe” look that Heinss and McMahon are trying to achieve.
“We want elegant beauty that is luxurious yet mingled with a rustic reclaimed vibe,” McMahon said.
In addition to the floor space, Renaissance has a covered outdoor area in the back that holds reclaimed “treasures” like rustic wood old doors in their raw state that are available for sale. An additional 2,500-square-foot show room with furniture, accessories and salvage material nearby that can be shown by appointment
Even with their bubbling passion for home décor, the duo are just as eager to talk about Renaissance’s selection of clothing and accessories, attesting to how it is a “one stop shop” for both fashion and interiors.
Experts in outfit consultation are on staff just as are freelance decorators. Upstairs in the consignment formal department, one of the largest in the Southeast, a staff member has a background in pageant coaching and judging.
Much of their clothing is consigned from high end boutiques so that items are on the rack discounted but still have their original tags.
Two of 12 staff members are dedicated to social media; the business does much of their sales online, not just in the store.
“[Renaissance is] a great thing for the community because you can buy great things for a good price, and you can recycle things as well,” Heinss said.
If you are interested in consigning home furnishings or accessories, email pictures of items to tammy@renaissanceconsignment.com.
