To say Emily Hubbard is busy would be an understatement. Over the past eight years, she has moved her vintage homewares, handmade gifts and reclaimed furniture store, One Rose Decor, three times and expanded in the Richmond suburbs, opening a second location on Hull Street Road in Chesterfield. She has also started offering sign-painting classes at her shop on Grove Road in Midlothian. To celebrate, she is planning an anniversary party at both locations on August 24.
And that’s not all: She also refurbishes a 1950s Shasta Starflyte camper for pop-up performances, has published two books, and even handcrafts many of the repurposed goods seen in the showroom.
All this work was a labor of love. “When she has an idea, I always tell her: help her or get out of her way, because no matter what it is, she will do it,” says Hubbard’s mother Cindy, who often lends a hand in the two businesses.
Lately, Hubbard has focused on expanding her retail offerings. While both stores are known for their reclaimed furniture and architectural salvage, Hubbard points out that the Chesterfield store has a much larger selection of clothing. The boho-chic styles are mostly wholesale items curated by Hubbard, but she also carries creations from local makers, including Junktales, which makes everything from baby clothes to tote bags from repurposed fabrics.
“There are so many things that are unique,” Hubbard says. “There’s just something really special about buying something that someone made with their own hands, rather than just going to Amazon and grabbing something. I think no matter how much I grow and how big the business gets, that will never change.”
Although Hubbard has four employees and receives occasional help from her family, she wants to grow to the point where she can return to her original passion of creating. “My personal goal is to get to a place where the business runs itself and I can really go out and create art,” she says. “That’s one thing that (has become more difficult) because I’m so busy. I just want to build the business so that I can do the things that I really love.”
