Thursday Merchant: Due Sorella offers colorful, eclectic items

For Julie Grady, the canvas for her expansive creativity is Due Sorella, a store situated in a quaint old house on Curry Street, filled with an eclectic mix of art and home furnishings.

Due Sorella means "two sisters" in Italian. Grady named the store in honor of her two older sisters, whose photo graces its sign. The image was taken in 1948 in North Dakota, with her sisters dressed for Easter Mass. It's also symbolic of a simpler time.

"This shop is about comfort, bringing back memories," Grady said.

The inventory includes home furnishing items, furniture, clothes, jewelry, artwork and whatever else strikes Grady's fancy. Some are new, while others are repurposed items or antiques.

"It's an art, a passion," Grady said of how she selects items for the store. "I only buy what I love.

"I love the things I buy for the store, but I have to be willing to let them go. It's easier when I know they are going to have a good home, and most of the time that's what is happening."

Grady said she is always changing things up in the store, making it a different experience for her regular customers each time they come in.

"I rotate the inventory tremendously," Grady said. "At least every two weeks, I rotate the whole store, bring in new merchandise and do new colors, so it stays fresh. If you come in every week, you will find something new."

Grady's daughter Clair works at the store, helping with customers and decorating, as well as designing her own jewelry and operating the store's Web site.

"What I appreciate about Clair is her youth and what she brings to the store, the fresh ideas," Grady said.

Due Sorella is Grady's second store. Her first shop was in North Lake Tahoe, which she sold 10 years ago before moving down the hill.

It took her a few years before she was able to find a new home for creative flair.

"I was looking for something charming, and this house has so much character, even empty," Grady said.

She established Due Sorella at a time when downtown Carson City was reinventing itself and growing, which has helped the business succeed. Grady hopes that it continues that way.

"I wish there were more shops downtown," Grady added. "I wish we could have the whole neighborhood full of shops, so people could come here, spend the whole day, eat lunch and shop. We've got all the bones, we just need the retailers who have a passion for it."

While the recession does give storeowners like Grady reason for worry, she believes there is a niche that Due Sorella can fill.

"I think everybody is struggling in this economy, but I think there is still room for beauty and being practical and being comforted," Grady said.