A lifetime love of antiques and vintage treasures – plus a keen sense of style, adventure, and entrepreneurship – has landed Shelle McCollum right where she knows she should be. Listening to an inner calling to explore new places a few years back, Shelle left behind her hometown of Raleigh to live on the North Carolina coast. But soon her heart – and a relationship – brought her to Winston-Salem. “I had never known much about Winston-Salem prior to moving here, but instantly, it felt comfortable to me,” she explains. Shelle worked part-time as the receptionist at a car dealership, and rented space in an antique store selling furniture she refinished in her home garage. A year later, her job ended and the venue space she rented was closing, so Shelle took another leap of faith and made a deal with the landlord to actually rent the building herself. Relying on both the business savvy she had gained from previous endeavors and a strong faith, Shelle immediately was able to rent three of the five rooms in the building to other vendors. “Just getting started was a whirlwind of work, and truly, a wing and a prayer!” she recalls. Her company name, Carolina Vintiques, is a clever combination of the words antiques and vintage! “The first year for Carolina Vintiques was awesome,” she says. “Winston-Salem is an entrepreneurial haven! Before long, I had new friends, regular customers, and was learning my way around the city as if I had lived here for 20 years.” Luckily just as that building was up for development, another location just around the corner became available. “One thing I’ve learned from the businesses I created in Raleigh is that you must always prepare to adapt!” she says. Today, Shelle welcomes customers to a charming house-turned retail store near Hanestowne Village off Stratford Road. While the smaller location doesn’t accommodate vendors, Carolina Vintiques does accept consigned items. The shop is ever-changing and overflowing with original condition antiques, painted furniture, and decorative accessories for every room of the home. Be sure to mention what you’re searching for because you never know what she may have hidden or stored away!
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Don’t shy away from a visit if vintage isn’t your thing, because Carolina Vintiques is truly about overall home décor, and Shelle creatively displays her pieces in comfortable vignettes that allow customers to envision each piece right in their own homes.