'Rustic' opens in Blowing Rock

It's not just furniture. It's history, said new store owner Tammie Jolly.

Aptly titled "Rustic," the new store (915 Main St., Blowing Rock) showcases wood you won't find anywhere else. That's because each piece is unique and, while they're not classified as antiques, some contain wood that's 300 years old.

"They are handmade from 100- to 300-year-old reclaimed wood," Jolly said.

The wood, reclaimed from villages in China, isn't what you think of when you think "made in China."

"It's not red and black shiny lacquer," she said. "It's much older."

And the age is part of the beauty. "It really has a different character as it ages," she said.

The reclaimed wood is then crafted by hand into unique furniture with a "rustic" look, "perfect for a mountain cabin," Jolly said.
Along with imported pieces, the store has North Carolina-built items, like cutting boards, and expects its local collection to increase.
Furniture is a tradition for Jolly, whose family has worked in the furniture industry in Thomasville for generations.

A resident of Blowing Rock for more than two years, Jolly used the downed economy to bring the furniture tradition to her new home.

"When the economy started changing, I started looking for a business and something we could eventually retire in ... and since I had the background and spent time in furniture ... I got interested in this," she said. "It's a very good time and a very good area for this kind of furniture. It really suits so many of the homes here."

With small tables for $425 up to an 8-foot china cabinet for $2,995, expect a variety of prices and products. You'll also find things like woven leather couches, handcrafted pillows and unique lamps, perfect for the rustic setting.

Of particular interest to Jolly? "Artifacts," also from Chinese villages. "Things like this little wooden footed barrel, this bucket," she said.

Discovering new pieces is part of the fun for Jolly and her daughter, Alex.

"Whenever we open up a box ... Alex will say, 'This one is different,'" Jolly said. "That's because they were made by different people and repaired differently over the years."

Rustic's winter hours 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.