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New Courtice business brings old into the new

The Vintage Trunk held its grand opening in Courtice this past weekend. The business is located at 1656 Nash Road, Unit #11 in Courtice. Joining owner Krysia Meeldyk (centre) for the ribbon cutting were Sheryl Greenham, left, representing Durham MP Erin O’Toole, and Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster, right. (Photo by Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express)

Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

What has been a long-time passion has turned into a business opportunity for Krysia Meeldyk.

Meeldyk celebrated the grand opening of her store, The Vintage Trunk, in Courtice recently.

Located at 1656 Nash Road, Unit #11, The Vintage Trunk offers a wide variety of antique furniture, ranging from chairs, armours, tables, stools and of course, trunks.

Meeldyk says she has always had an interest in antiques.

“I’m a history buff. I just found myself, even at a young age, looking at a piece and wondering ‘what conversations did that chair sit through?’ I just love history,” Meeldyk says.

All the pieces available at The Vintage Trunk are personally given a new lease on life by Meeldyk.

“I take an old piece of furniture and try to bring it into the new age. I try to give it another 100 years before it hits a landfill,” she says.

Meeldyk has personally been collecting antique furniture for almost 20 years.

“You’d be amazed [where this industry] leads you to – some pretty great, creative, dark, scary and wonderful places,” Meeldyk says with a laugh. “I’ve pretty much picked them up everywhere. When I go around the province and see an old trunk, it’s coming home with me.”

Meeldyk more than welcomes customers to come to her with pieces they’d liked restored.

“I have that connection with history. I can look at something and say ‘wow, you’re really old and really ugly but I’m about to make you very beautiful””, she says.

For those interested in trying their own hand at restoring an antique, Meeldyk says she carries Country Chic Paint, which was featured on an episode of CBC’s Dragons’ Den.

“It’s 100% Canadian product. I stand behind them completely,” Meeldyk says, adding the paint has zero per cent volatile organic compound (VOC) and is “completely kid-friendly”.

A huge supporter of the Ontario SPCA, dogs are welcome in her store and Meeldyk has set up at cooling station for her customers’ canine companions, which will also have treats on hand.

She explained it is called “Skipper’s Cooling Station” in connection to an antique shopping trip she made a few years ago.

“I found a dog’s collar that said ‘Skipper’ on it and had an address from 1953 in Scarborough,” she says.

Meeldyk said she is very pleased to be in Courtice, calling it “the new up and coming community.”

“I love this plaza and I love the people. [Courtice has] really expanded and I think the interest in what I do is really high here,” she said.

For more information on the store, visit https://www.facebook.com/thevintagetrunk

 

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