If you go
The Vinterest Southside grand opening will be Friday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 2121 Chestnut Street in Chattanooga’s Southside. The first 25 shoppers will get a door prize as well as gift card giveaways every 30 minutes. The 10,000 sq. ft. store will have 47 vendors selling “mid century, farmhouse, kitschy items, custom furniture options, boutique clothing and accessories, beautiful antiques, local food items” and more.For more information, follow “Vinterest Southside” on Facebook.
Katherine Schurer sees what is happening in Chattanooga's Southside and believes her business, Vinterest Antiques, can play a small part in the vision for the area.
Vinterest Southside will celebrate its grand opening Friday as 47 vendors move into the warehouse space on Chestnut Street - across the street from the First Tennessee Pavilion - to sell their vintage goods and artisan crafts. It will be the company's second location in Hamilton County.
Soaps from Boxwood Brake at are seen at Vinterest Antiques' new location on the Southside on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tenn.Vintage Market Days
Vintage Market Days is also taking place this weekend at the First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd.The upscale, vintage-inspired event will be both indoor and outdoors from Friday, April 6 to Sunday, April 8. The event features art, antiques, clothing, jewelry, handmade treasures and home décor. General admission tickets for Saturday and Sunday are available at the door for $5 and the market is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For $10, shoppers can buy early on Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., too. Children under 12 can attend for free.Cash and credit are accepted and tickets are good for re-entry to the event all weekend. For more information, visit vintagemarketdays.com/market/chattanooga.
Vinterest owner Katherine Schurer talks about items at the Drawn Design booth at Vinterest Antiques' new location on the Southside on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tenn.Schurer opened the Vinterest Hixson location in 2015 and grew it to more than 100 vendors before deciding to convert the former Southeastern Tool & Design shop on the city's Southside into a second location for her business.
"It came organically," Schurer said this week while walking among the vendor booths - many of which were still a work in progress.
"Southside is just exploding, and we were able to snatch this building up," she added.
The 16,000-square-foot warehouse includes 10,000 square feet of retail space for vendors, some of which are new to Vinterest and others which are opening their second booths at the Southside location.
Schurer describes the business as "Pinterest come to life," which is a play on the popular social website where people can find do-it-yourself tips and inspiration for home décor among other things. The "V" stands for "vintage," but Schurer said customers can find a lot more than just vintage items in the store, including refurbished furniture, on-the-spot custom embroidery, clothes, bags, jewelry and other handmade crafts, like old lamps-turned-candleholders.
At Vinterest, vendors build and maintain their spaces, but Schurer and her employees manage and operate the location. Schurer said she hired seven employees for the new space. Shoppers will be able to find many of the same things as they would in Hixson but the Southside vendor booths will be bigger to resemble actual storefronts, she said.
"It's almost like a miniature town within a warehouse," she said. "All the vendors take a lot of pride in their spaces."
There are 54 parking spots available, and when customers walk through the door they are greeted by an old 1966 Chevrolet truck Schurer and her husband found for $500. There is also a food market, which will have items available from local businesses The Bread Basket and the Chef and his Wife.
To accommodate all the housing going up in the area, Schurer said they will also have more practical furniture for new residents to furnish their new homes.
Marilyn Duggan was at the warehouse Wednesday putting the final touches on her booth called "Garden Gate," which includes home decor items with a garden influence, like small wreaths. Duggan opened her first booth at Vinterest's Hixson store but said she's excited about the new opportunity to open up to a whole new demographic near downtown.
"This to me is just a fun outlet," she said.
Vintage Market Days is also happening this weekend at the First Tennessee Pavilion, so Schurer is hoping the new event will attract even more customers to Vinterest.
"This is the first year the event is being held here so that's kind of a big deal," she said. "A lot of the people shopping there will also like to come here."
Contact staff writer Allison Shirk at ashirk@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6651.
An example of embroidery at Little Darlin's Boutique is seen at Vinterest Antiques' new location on the Southside on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tenn.