Beautiful Boutique
on Brilliant offers
one-of-a kind items
to customers in
Aspinwall, Fox Chapel
and the Greater
Pittsburgh area.
BY NICOLE TAFE
“I
have always loved painting, crafting and creating,” says Melanie BakerTelford, owner of Beautiful Boutique on Brilliant in Aspinwall. “My
grandfather owned a car dealership and my father owns a custom
refinishing shop that services motorcycles and cars, so I’ve grown up watching
things be recreated before my eyes.”
Baker-Telford was born and raised in Greensburg. She attended Hempfield
Area High School and then studied psychology at the University of Pittsburgh.
After college, she got married, had her daughter Makenzi, got divorced and then
decided to go back to school to study design and cosmetology. Baker-Telford
worked in hair and makeup while creating a side business that offered interior
design and custom furniture.
Soon after, she married Jeffery Telford, now her husband of seven years. “Years
ago, over cocktails one evening, my husband and I decided we would put our
creative skills together and start making custom pieces of furniture and decor,”
she says. “This idea continued to grow, and we began to sell pieces in a few local
shops in addition to participating in local art and craft shows.” By working with
these local businesses and doing much of the design work for the owners of those
shops, Baker-Telford learned the necessary skills for owning and running a shop.
During lunch one afternoon with her friend, Ginger, Baker-Telford noticed
a building under renovation on Brilliant Avenue—this was the perfect spot
and opportunity to finally open her own shop. “It was the perfect place for a
boutique,” she explains. “We toured the location the following evening and
signed the lease the next day.”
Baker-Telford’s original side business was called BeCubed Designs and
was named after her three dogs, Bruno, Bella and Butters. In fact, Butters, her
miniature bulldog, is with her just about everywhere, including every day at the
shop on Brilliant. BeCubed was eventually transformed into Beautiful Boutique
on Brilliant, a name that was created to keep the special “three Bs” in place.
At Beautiful Boutique on Brilliant, Baker-Telford works with more than
70 vendors from around to world to offer a fresh and continually changing
inventory. “My shop is a Lifestyle Boutique, specializing in custom furniture,
home decor and lighting, all paired with unique jewelry, handbags and gifts from
around the globe,” she says.
Baker-Telford finds her inventory in a variety of places including shows in New
York, California and Texas, by word of mouth and by visiting or communicating
with other boutiques locally, nationally and internationally. Her search for oneof-a-kind pieces never ends.
“The Fox Chapel/Aspinwall area could not be more perfect for my shop,”
says Baker-Telford. “Many of the gorgeous, older homes in this area are being
renovated and the new owners are looking for unique pieces to complement their
homes—this is exactly what my shop specializes in!”
Baker-Telford also does custom consultations, delivery and interior design
upon request. “This is truly my passion and I am so thankful to share it with the
wonderful people of Aspinwall, Fox Chapel and the Greater Pittsburgh area.”
She adds that her business was “born out of necessity and fueled by creativity.”
As a child, her family did not have much money and her parents would often
receive second-hand furniture from friends and family that they would transform
into spectacular new pieces through repainting, refinishing and reupholstering.
“This is how I learned to put my own creative spin into my work and not only
turn things into amazing new pieces of furniture, but also beautiful works of art,”
she says. “I never imagined it would be something people would want me to do as
a service, as opposed to something I did just for my own needs—but this is how
it happened and I have loved every minute of it.”
For more information, visit beautifulboutiquepittsburgh.com, or stop into the
shop located at 101 Brilliant Ave. in Aspinwall. n
Fox Chapel Area | Fall 2016 | icmags.com 71