Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Earnhart. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Owner Ashley has always had a passion for old things. Between her two history degrees she is passionate about how much charm & character are in old pieces. After moving back to California, she had a dream of opening up a home decor shop that was just a little different.
In October 2018, The Little Burlap Barn opened its doors in Murrieta, CA with a simple goal in mind: to bring simple & salvaged home decor pieces to customers in Southern California. TLBB sources all its own vintage, one-of-a-kind pieces by taking picking trips all across the USA. From scouring basements & barns to antique malls & estate sales, we bring home some truly unique & one-of-a-kind pieces full of chippyness, charm & of course, history. From 100+ year old harvest tables to decades old books & candlesticks, we have it all.
Today, our brick & mortar is a place full of unique pieces & lots of inspiration. Our online presence allows TLBB finds to be shipped all across the US & Canada. We continue to strive to be a source of inspiration, giving new life to old things.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Building a business from the ground up always has its challenges & growing pains. Our biggest challenge is sourcing things as fast as they sell. A majority of our items are one-of-a-kind which means once they’re gone, they’re gone. We have been luckily to build our brand with our local customers & throughout the country but sometimes you need more hands (& time in the day!) to get it all done, go on more picking trips, getting items online faster, etc.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a small, female-owned small business. We specialize in bringing simple & salvaged home decor to our customers & are known for having some of the best vintage finds in the region. Unlike others, we source all our finds ourselves: doing 10-20 day picking trips every few months. We run all our own social media, website creation & upkeep & pride ourselves in engaging & truly becoming friends with our customers.
We aren’t just another “antique store”. We pride ourselves in our styling & merchandising & really showcasing many ways to give life to old things a lot of people would look past.
We are most proud of a few accomplishments: growing our business from the ground up in three years with increased sales each year. Growing our social media presence on Instagram to over 67+ friends in just three years, on our own, & continuing to source all our own items.
What makes you happy?
Seeing the faces of customers who have stories about certain items or how something reminds them of their childhood, past away loved ones, etc. brings us joy. Knowing our passion for old stuff & traveling allows us to make others happy.
Traveling across the country on flicking trips makes me happy: seeing small towns & big cities, meeting nice people, hearing stories & everything in between.
Oh & my 2 Pomeranians who always are excited when I get home 🙂
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.thelittleburlapbarn.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/
thelittleburlapbarn - Facebook: www.facebook.com/
thelittleburlapbarn
