Timeless Trends Boutique

small business spotlight THE TREASURED WORKERS

by Elliot Jones

iSThErEASOMEThiNG iN yOur hOME that has a special place because it once belonged to a beloved grandparent? Have you ever visited an unassuming table at a flea market and discovered the perfect gift for a friend? Do you have a story of when you were cleaning a long-neglected attic and you discovered something so distinctive and cool that you had to rescue it?

Then you know what it is to find a treasure.

What makes a treasure isn’t its resale value, but in the weight of its uniqueness and meaning. It’s something that’s one of a kind, not because “they don’t make them that way any longer” but because of the journey it’s taken through time to come to you. Some are heirlooms passed down through the family; some are surprise discoveries found in unlikely places; others are one-of-a-kind gifts picked out for you by that one friend who knows you love this kind of stuff. If you come to Thurmont looking for treasures, you owe it to yourself to visit Timeless Trends Boutique.

Celebrating their tenth-year anniversary this past August, Timeless Trends Boutique is the entrepreneurial undertaking of Virginia LaRoche and her family. Virginia is the heart of the business, hunting down pieces in need of rescue all along the east coast and working directly with the customers. “For me it’s about the people” she said, “matching the right piece to the right owner.” Her husband, Jay, manages the building’s maintenance and their four children Chris, Mary, Andrew, and Annie all have a unique role in the business. Mary LaRoche handles design and marketing and Andrew often helps arrange the floor setups of the furniture. Annie provides input for the details of the event planning and Chris is the craftsman who builds the unique “Farm Tables” which are a defining feature of Timeless Trends Boutique.

These are tables that have been lovingly assembled from restored lumber and furnishL-R Chris, Andrew, Virginia and Jay LaRoche by one of their hand-crafted farm tables.

ings reclaimed from barns, mills, and other older buildings that would otherwise be abandoned. Each of these tables is truly “one of a kind” in a way unique to other furnishings, as reclaimed lumber carries with it a distinctive character not possible without the passage of time. Indeed, recycling is an important part of Virginia’s vision, as she takes pride in her business taking old pieces and breathing new life into them. In fact, some could say that the very act of opening the boutique was the first breath of new life given to the building itself.

TiMELESS TrENDSOCCuPiES what was once the Creager Furniture Store and Funeral Home, once one of Frederick’s longest running family owned businesses placing its lineage all the way back to the mid 1850s at least. Here’s a fun-fact, if you think a funeral home/furniture store sounds like an odd combination, it was actually quite common in those day, as Virginia puts it “If you could build a casket, you could build a cabinet.” Even the funeral home’s carriage house was given new purpose as the Timeless Trends Vintage Warehouse, where instead of the horse-drawn hearse, visitors can now explore a showcasing of the more eclectic pieces being held in the LaRoches’ care.

And I do mean vintage… During my brief visit, I encountered a working antique Coca-Cola cooler, a Printype Oliver typewriter, chandeliers from what looked like every decade, china closets, paintings, porcelain, and a pair of Asian lacquer wall hangings I was sorely tempted to purchase for myself. Of course, the vintage warehouse didn’t start off as the showcase for eclectic antiques it is now. Back when the doors first opened in 2009, the carriage house wasn’t even included in the store, but was instead used for overflow storage. Then in 2010, Timeless Trends began to have monthly events for the warehouse to be open, before eventually making it a permanent feature of the business. Sometimes the destinies of places and people take interesting paths, so as it was for Virginia herself.

Virginia didn’t start off in the antique and restoration business, though she did love an-

ABOVE: Lisa Humerick of Vintage Treasures is a vendor at Timeless Trends Boutique.

LEFT: A handmade farm table from The Treasured Workers

tiques as a child growing up in North Arlington Virginia. No, Virginia was once part of the corporate “computer systems and data management” world and might have stayed there if she hadn’t one day taken leave for family reasons. Eventually she decided that instead of returning to that world, that it was time for something new… or something old as the case turned out to be. After searching Maryland for an optimal location, Virginia came to Thurmont and she and Jay purchased the old Creager store.

Ten years later, Timeless Trends Boutique is still going strong. When asked about the secret of their success, Virginia explained that partly it’s how closely they work with their customers, asking for and acting on feedback, making sure to stock exactly the pieces they’re looking for. But also, it’s about being involved both abroad and in the Thurmont Community.

TiMELESS TrENDS BOuTiquE takes the show on the road, having numerous outdoor events during the year from Gettysburg PA down to Ellicott City MD. But even with all the traveling, Timeless Trends maintains a strong support for the Town of Thurmont. Timeless Trends Boutique has been heavily involved with “Gateway to the Cure”, Catoctin High School’s “Safe and Sane” Fundraiser, and has become a mainstay of Christmas in Thurmont. The LaRoches go all out for the holidays as Virginia can attest to, “No one does Christmas

Timeless Trends Boutique 21 East Main Street hours: Wed, Fri, Sat: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thur: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun: Noon-5 p.m. timelesstrendsboutique.com Phone: 800.864.8591

like we do,” she said, “It takes a week to get the boutique ready for our open house with our twenty decorated trees”. (And just so you know, the 2019 Holiday Open House begins November 2nd, so mark your calendars!) Virginia recounts with pride that when people come through the store during this event, the most common reaction is often “I wish I came here earlier!” And it’s this reaction from the customers that’s most rewarding to Virginia herself.

Virginia’s favorite part of the business is talking to and helping the customers. When asked about some of her more memorable experiences, Virginia recalled one woman in search of a red and white kitchen table set. When it turned out they didn’t have it, the LaRoches tracked a set down and called her back.

Another customer, a young couple this time, purchased one of the Farm Tables and a custom console station for their newly built home. Not only did the couple love the pieces, their home-builder was so impressed with the table and console they made sure to feature them in their marketing. When asked what separates their furniture from what people might find at Ikea or Amazon, Mary LaRoche responded, “Our furniture is timeless, real wood and unique. It’s not something that you’re going to see in every home on Instagram. It’s not going to fall apart in a few years. And it’s not something you’re going to wish you hadn’t bought because the trend has gone out! It’s furniture built to last and to be loved for years.”

If I’ve sounded a bit romantic in this article, I’ll confess…. I have a particular soft spot in my heart for antiques and heirlooms. As a child growing up in Baltimore county, my mother would sometimes take me with her to the North Point Plaza Flea Market in Dundalk. I have precious memories hunting through tables looking at old tools, furniture, and other antiques that I didn’t know at the time I would never see anywhere else.

There are many furniture and art pieces in my home that were pass-downs from my uncle and grandparents, and though they’ve passed, these treasures remain as living ties to them. So, if you too have a love of antiques, of gifts that no one else could give, of unique pieces that are waiting for a new life in your home, then spare a visit to Timeless Trends Boutique.

A treasure just might be waiting for you!