Jason Gardner competes in the newspaper toss during the End of Bike Week Party on Friday evening in McFadden Plaza.
On a chalkboard outside her store — Due Sorella — Julie Grady has written the words, “Tattered, Repurposed, Loved.”
“If it’s perfect, I don’t want it,” she explained. “It has no character. It’s not interesting.”
And for Grady, it’s important to surround herself with items that interest her.
“I buy what I love,” she said. “That is the way I run the shop. Every day I open the front door, I’m in heaven.”
Grady opened Due Sorella, meaning “Two Sisters,” in Italian in April 2006. It’s similar to the store, Morning Glory Cottage Furnishings, she ran in North Lake Tahoe 18 years ago.
“I still have customers who come down and shop from me,” she said. “I love it. I absolutely love it.”
The customers are drawn to the way the vintage store makes them feel.
“People see things and say, ‘My mother had this, or I used to eat off of that,’” she said. “That familiarity brings a lot of comfort to people.”
More than just the items for sale, the store is attractive for its textures, scents and sounds.
“I always make sure good music is on,” Grady said. “I play a lot of the standards, a lot of Frank Sinatra.”
Grady offers design and decorating classes throughout the year.
Grady likes the redesign of downtown Carson City and is confident customers will find their way to her store.
“I think people who want to get off the grid will still go downtown,” she said. “In fact, I think it will help our business.”
The shop is an old 1914 Sears, Roebuck and Company house that was built for around $2,000. It was shipped by train from the East Coast and erected by a local contractor.
Over the years, Grady has heard strange noises, particularly coming from the stairs that lead to the basement.
She had a paranormal expert come in for a reading.
“She identified a little boy named Ricky who jumps on the basement stairs,” Grady said. “He’s a prankster. It scared me the first time. I just yell at him now, tell him to knock it off.”
Due Sorella’s vibe spills from the store itself onto the front porch and yard, where customers often gather for lunch or conversation.
“We try to use our porch as much as we can. It’s kind of a gathering place for everyone,” she said. “It’s a good support place. We don’t judge you, and whatever you say here stays here.”