#DexterFirst Encore by Nancy Vines

#DexterFirst Encore By Nancy Nelson Vines

Encore:  giving old items another chance.  When visitors enter this antique shop in Downtown Dexter, they are struck with the inviting atmosphere. All glassware is sparkling and displayed as if waiting to be used for dinner, or adorning a treasured piece of furniture.  “I display pieces together and artistically, to give customers an idea of how it will look on the shelves of their homes,” explains owner Jeanne Charles, who has owned the shop for two years.

“I bought the store from Mr. Charlie and changed the focus to glassware, collectibles, and small pieces of furniture,” says Charles. “I take road trips to Ohio and Pennsylvania where much of the glassware was made.  I visit various venues and am always on the lookout for interesting pieces to bring back to the shop.” 

Besides revising the merchandise she offers, Charles also revamped the merchandising space inside the building.  She estimates that in the 1970s, during the energy crisis, a dropped ceiling was added to the interior, and along the front wall facing the street, a row of windows was removed, closed off, and paneled.  Charles closed her business for six months while the dropped ceiling was removed, the building was rewired, fluorescent lights were eliminated, and the front panels were taken out and windows restored. Under the dropped ceiling she discovered a pressed tin ceiling that is in beautiful condition. “Now the building has a true vintage appeal both inside and out,” she remarked.

Encore is located at 22 East Stoddard and is open 10:00 to 5:00 Monday through Saturday.

Pictured above: Jeanne Charles owns Encore.