​​Woman opens Etselle in Waynesville

Repurposed items mingle with new gifts.


How to go

Visit Etselle at 69 S. Main St. in Waynesville or online at www.etselle.com. Or call (513) 897-6937.

Connected to the Waynesville Antique Mall is a small shop with a new concept that customers may find unique.

Etselle opened on March 1 of this year and owner Lauren Lepley, a University of Cincinnati graduate, was inspired by fashion, color and buying and selling.

“My parents (Rick and Debbie Lepley,owners of the antique mall) and I wanted to go into business together, and I was finally able to rent out the space in the mall for the shop.”

Lepley’s shop has a “repurposing” theme and is a combination of “old and new.”

“I came up with the name from my dogs, Elle and Etsy, who have always been there for me,” Lepley said. “And I designed the logo and the whole concept with my dad, who has always been into repurposing as well.”

Lepley and her dad made the walls of her shop out of barn wood, took old shutters and made fixtures and used old crates to make shelving units.”We wanted a rustic and rural feel to the shop,” she said.

It took Lepley and her father, along with a family friend, James Dale, several months, to prepare for the opening of the shop, after a trip to Detroit to salvage materials. “We got all kinds of stuff from old houses,” Lepley said. “We bought it and repurposed it to build our cabinets and display units.”

The shop has thousands of antique hardware items in its inventory but also sells new items, including candles, women’saccessories and jewelry and home decor.

“And since the shop is named after my dogs, I naturally have a dog corner,” Lepley said.

Lepley started her Facebook business page in January and has successfully cultivated quite a following so far. “People really like that we have this wonderful and inspiring store here in Waynesville,” she said. “People in town say it’s nice to be able to walk down and get a gift for a shower right here in town.”

In addition to antique and gift items, Lepley also has a Ball jar repurposing center, the only one of its kind in the area. “My number one selling items are my scarves,” Lepley said. “I have a lot of unique scarves and restock them every two weeks. I also have a chalkboard wall and a lot of brides are coming in and buying chalk board place tags for their tables.”

Lepley’s items are also available for sale at the Antiques Village, located in Washington Park Plaza in Centerville.

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