OLD, BUT MAKE IT MODERN
LET'S EXPLORE THE WORKS OF DENHAM SPRINGS ANTIQUE VILLAGE AND BATON ROUGE'S MID-CITY ANTIQUE SHOP,, PINK ELEPHANT.
There is more to an antique store than it’s unique name. A story lies behind its uniqueness and many creative fashions.
Liz Bentivegna owns Rusty Rooster with her daughter, Tonja Holmes, in Denham Springs.
Rusty Rooster started 14 years ago. It was founded by Margot Arnold. “A friend of mine bought it, and I became a vendor before I bought the store in 2017,” she said.
Along with the furniture in the store, the building has history of its own.
According to Bentivegna, the ceiling tiles in the building are from 1902. The building was a Ford Model T dealership and was converted into an antique shop.
Bentivegna and Holmes take old pieces of furniture and renew them. In their shop, there is furniture that is 100 years old.
Even though some of the furniture is older than the customer in Rusty Rooster, it doesn’t feel like it. A lot of the furniture has a modern feel to it.
According to Bentivegna, the store has different vendors, and they are all women. Different vendors in an antique store is not unlikely. The Pink Elephant, an antique shop in Baton Rouge, also has different vendors.
The Pink Elephant began over two years ago with Lisa Pellissier as its owner. “We have over 30 dealers, and each one rents a space,” Pellissier said.
pieces of furniture and renew them. In their shop, there is furniture that is 100 years old.
Even though some of the furniture is older than the customer in Rusty Rooster, it doesn’t feel like it. A lot of the furniture has a modern feel to it.
According to Bentivegna, the store has different vendors, and they are all women. Different vendors in an antique store is not unlikely. The Pink Elephant, an antique shop in Baton Rouge, also has different vendors.
The Pink Elephant began over two years ago with Lisa Pellissier as its owner. “We have over 30 dealers, and each one rents a space,” Pellissier said.
The Pink Elephant was always an antique store. Pellissier bought the building and revamped it before turning it into a bigger antique store.
Just like its name, the store has its own uniqueness to it. The items found in the Pink Elephant catch your eye, like a casket or the van sitting just outside the store with a mannequin sitting at the driver’s seat.
How was the name created? Old church sales. “The church sales would be called the white elephant sales,” Pellissier said.
White elephant sales were held by churches at a school carnival, using items that were donated to the school and church. “Since we’re in mid-city, I decided to make it more fun. I changed it to the Pink Elephant,” Pellissier stated.
Rescued Revisions is an antique store in Denham Springs, owned by River Dupree. He started his business in the garage.
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