Business owners give building new life

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Bellman's Hardware Store has sat in its spot at 8515 Main St. in Altenburg for decades, and in recent years has switched owners and businesses. The store has been given a revamped look and new life by Nicole Moore and Sandy Oberndorfer as they begin to operate their two businesses under the same roof.

Reclaimed Home Furnishings and Gifts, owned by Moore, and Trinkets and Treasures, owned by Oberndorfer, will celebrate their stores' openings Sunday with an open house.

The two ladies have much to celebrate, given one of the many things they have in common is the fact that opening their own businesses has been a long time coming.

Moore has refinished furniture and decorated on and off for several years, and seamstress Oberndorfer has been sewing her whole life. The two put their creative interests on hold for reasons including their families, health and bills.

Moore moved to Altenburg with her family about three years ago and wanted to own the Bellman's Hardware Store building ever since. Oberndorfer has lived in Altenburg for about 20 years and was in the process of opening her business last fall before she became ill.

According to Oberndorfer, she and Moore inquired about the building about the same time, and they shared a common creative-business interest. The two ladies met and liked each other automatically, Oberndorfer said.

After meeting with Oberndorfer and the owner of the building, "all of our ideas for the building just fell together perfectly," Moore said.

"What I didn't bring to the table, she brought to the table," she said of Oberndorfer. "And so it was just the perfect combination."

The first step after getting their hands on the building in October was getting the building in an operational state.

Because the old hardware store switched hands a few times, the building had become "a catch-all for the town for the last 20 years," Moore said.

It took three weeks to clear out the building.

"It was quite the undertaking," she said.

Exteriorly and structurally, the building was fine, Moore said, but it needed new drywall, lighting and electrical work. Now the building sports a "fresh, new, chic" update, she said.

They chose to keep the building's original interior tin wall and give it a fresh coat of paint, as well as the original floors that they sanded down and shined up, Oberndorfer said.

"We like leaving that look in the building, we really do," she said.

Though the building's revamp took longer than they thought it would, they knew what the end result was going to be, Oberndorfer said.

Reclaimed Home Furnishings and Gifts will sell refinished furniture and decor among other hand-made crafts and products, and Oberndorfer will sell custom-sewn and -embroidered pieces at Trinkets and Treasures. The two also will collaborate on projects, Moore said, and they plan to offer their services at weddings and special events after the first of the year.

There are many people in the area who have creative talent but no outlet, Oberndorfer said. For that, the ladies have a solution.

Moore said they plan to teach creative classes in a large classroom in the building, including children's art classes, sewing, flower arrangementing and refinishing furniture.

Moore said she and Oberndorfer finally were in a position where they could both make their dreams a reality.

"It's just what I've always wanted," Moore said.

The stores will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

ashedd@semissourian.com

388-3632

Pertinent address:

8515 Main St., Altenburg, MO