In an old Baptist church, one enterprising group of Boerne ladies is showcasing beautiful vintage items.
New here? Subscribe!
Story by Pamela Price
It sounds like something from a movie plot: five women come together in a former church building to launch a new business.
Except, of course, this isn’t a story on the silver screen.
Nope, it’s real life on Boerne’s main drag (a.k.a. The Hill Country Mile), where The Sanctuary for the Vintage Soul opened March 1. The home decor shop features 1,700 square feet of retail space. It’s also connected to an existing store, The Shed Garden Shoppe, through a passageway.
“We all wanted to open a business, but with rental property prices being what they are in Boerne, it was almost impossible for us to do it individually,” said Laura Black, one of The Sanctuary’s founding partners. “With five of us working together, we could pull it off. So we started doing our homework.”
The quintet of owners includes Black, Angela Brunott, Sarah DiPaola, Lisa Taber, and Chris Toms. They all share a love of repurposing old items for modern use.
“It’s just a great group of girls. We all have our own ideas, our fresh takes on old and new things. Together we represent vintage and antique styles. We’ll even have a little funky, retro seventies things sometimes. I think there’s beauty to be found in mixing things together styles and influences. It creates something fresh, new, original,” said Black.
The new business is housed in Boerne’s original First Baptist Church—a fact to which the new name gives a nod.
“The foundation was laid in 1919 and the building was completed in 1923. We’re coming up on the century mark for the space. There’s something special about being in a place that has a history, a place where people have come together over the years to celebrate all kinds of important events,” Black said. “In many ways I feel that this whole project was just meant to be. Like an answered prayer. We had the idea and then things just started to come together fast, so perfectly, and then this property opened up. Even one of the paint colors we selected is called ‘Heavenly Aroma.’ Can you imagine a more perfect name for a wall color for us in this old church?”
Chris Toms added that she sees the shop’s role as being an extension of that human impulse to come together. Having moved to Texas from Iowa a year ago, Toms had a small quilting business up and running.
Still, she craved something more.
“For me, [The Sanctuary] is not just about coming into work. It’s about coming in to learn about people. All of us, we want to invest in relationships. That’s what is so great about small towns, right? Those connections. I love it when people come into the shop to share memories, to share what this old building has meant to them over the years,” Toms said.
“I think that’s something that is special about vintage retail, too,” added Black. “People who love to shop or sell vintage are more inclined to thinking about memories and sharing them with one another. That’s definitely part of the appeal. And that’s why we went with the word ‘sanctuary’ in our name, because that’s what we’re trying to create—a place of refuge.”
The new owners plan to nurture their business through a soft launch phase in March with an eye to hosting a grand opening event in April.
“As we grow, we hope to offer sign-painting classes and something along the lines of ladies’ night painting classes. Through our partnership with The Shed, we’d love to do some gardening workshops or similar,” said Black. “And we’ll be open during Boerne’s next Diva Night because that’s such a fun opportunity to get to know people and, of course, to let them get to know us.”
Story and photographs by Pamela Price.
Explore More
The Sanctuary for the Vintage Soul
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram
Telephone: 830-331-8880
Address: 615 S. Main Street
Boerne, TX 78006
The Shed Garden Shoppe
Social Media: Instagram
Telephone: 210-237-8075
If you’ve got a vintage, Texas Hill Country-lovin’ soul, we reckon you’ll love our monthly newsletter, Facebook feed, and Instagram page.
I cannot wait to check this out!