The Taea Made Blog: September 2014

I've had the good fortune to work with and get to know Maria Bosak, owner of Eco Chic Boutique, and her super sweet staff over the past few years. Whenever I've had the opportunity to pop into the shop, I'm greeted with a smiling face and a kind heart. Besides a warm greeting at the store, you'll also find eco-friendly products, clothing, accessories, home decor and re-purposed furniture (their specialty.)

Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan is sold at Eco Chic for updating furniture and making one-of-a-kind items. This brand of paint is very user friendly for creating unique pieces. Classes on how to use Chalk Paint are taught on a regular basis at the store. You can find many furniture pieces redone with Chalk Paint at the Eco Chic stores, and from vendors at Junk Market. Junk Market, an event that was originally held in Eco Chic's parking lot, is a two day event held in three buildings at the Red River Valley Fair Grounds each spring and fall.

When I stopped into the Fargo Eco Chic Boutique location to take photos for this blog post, Michelle and Katie were working. It's easy to see that Maria views her staff as a big asset to her company. You can tell there's a lot of fun and laughter that goes on behind the scenes at Eco Chic. I'm glad to have had a chance to get in on it while I was there!

Get to know Maria and her eco-friendly store better in the following Q & A I did with her for my "Step Inside" series, featuring stores that sell Taea Made products.

Have you always planned on being a small business owner?

After spending 12 years in the corporate world managing stores for someone else, I found myself becoming more and more stifled and really felt a strong desire to be in control of my time and talent. I've always been hardworking and a little stubborn, so being my own boss in control of my own destiny fit me well.

What brought you to the F-M area?

I grew up in Webster, SD and came here to attend college at MSUM. Once graduation arrived I already had a job, so here I stayed. Once I met and married Tate, I knew this was home forever.

When did your passion for remaking furniture begin?

The repurposing passion was one I didn’t know I had until I had to find it. The original concept of Eco Chic featured more baby, mom and home eco-friendly items. It wasn’t until customers started wanting our display fixtures did I realize there was a need for such a store. We slowly transitioned into what Eco Chic is today, and in the meantime I found a love and passion for home decor and furniture that I didn’t know I had.

What makes Chalk Paint unique compared to other paints?

Chalk Paint is unique for a couple reasons. One, it will adhere to most any surface without sanding, priming or stripping. This is usually what people love the most. Also, the finish and versatility of the paint draws the customers in once they start working with it. You really have to experience it to completely appreciate it.

How did you become involved with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint?

Once we started selling furniture we were using spray paint to repurpose it. This became messy and toxic. Once we researched paint, we kept stumbling across Annie Sloan on blogs. We ordered some and fell in love. So much in love that we inquired into selling it. It was a 3 month process before they agree to allow us to sell it. They are very strict on where they place it. They want a certain family feel and love of painting to be displayed in all their stockist. We luckily fit the bill.

Do you offer advice for furniture remaking newbies?

All Day Long…We love talking to newbies about project. Heck we are still newbies. That is why we are here. To help.

What do you most like about owning Eco Chic?

I love my employees and the customers we bring joy too. It is so much fun to help others bring joy to their homes.

What do you see for the future of Eco Chic?

Well, besides our expansion into Bismarck last summer, we have big plans for a larger version of who we are in Fargo. We think we have a presence that is tv worthy. We will just have to see what HGTV thinks. (wink wink)

What is Junk Market?

Junk Market is a event that features the best junking, salvage, and repurposed vendors from the upper Midwest. It is held every May and September. It started in our parking lot but has grown so big we moved it to the Fairgrounds. What started as a one day event is now a two day event with around 100 vendors. It is like Eco Chic only on steroids times three.

You can shop Eco Chic Boutique at two different storefronts in both Fargo, ND and Bismarck, ND. The Bismarck location will soon be moving to a new downtown location! Be sure to follow their latest store happenings on Eco Chic's Facebook page.

I recently had the chance to visit the Eco Chic Boutique in Bismarck, ND, where I received an equally warm reception from Kelsey. Below are a few current photos of the Bismarck store.