ARLINGTON — It was her grandmother’s dresser that got Linda Gudde into antiques.
“I still have it,”said Gudde, who now co-owns Vintage Rustoration in Arlington with Jennifer Morgan. “I played with it as a kid, trying on my grandmother’s hats. I come from a family of six siblings, and I’m the keeper of everything old.”
Gudde’s passion led her into a 20-year career as an antiques dealer. This has included a stint running her own antiques repurposing and reselling store in Conway, called the Rags & Lace Vintage Market, until 2013. She’s also spent the past three years at area vintage markets with Morgan, including Island Chicks in Anacortes, Ruffles & Rust in Monroe, Farm & Frills at Enumclaw, and Treasures Under the Tent in Lynden.
Morgan has been an antiques dealer for five years, and got into repurposing antiques when she was a stay-at-home mom looking to turn home decor into a creative outlet.
“We both love saving what we can and making it beautiful again,” Gudde said.
Both women love painting traditional furniture and creating garden displays. They even hope to open a new garden area in their store this spring. They also share a fondness for what Gudde deemed “girly, feminine stuff,” from hats and lace garments to jewelry and “ladies’ decor” items.
“It balances out the ‘rust’ side of our antiques,” said Gudde, who noted that they prefer to stick with the first half of the 20th century for their vintage and antique items. “We’re not really into retro kitsch, although sometimes we will deal in modern items that have that vintage feel.”
Gudde has a fondness for old sewing buttons, dress forms, mirrors and kitchen items. She’s made memory tables out of old farmhouse windows, and uses old baker’s racks to display store merchandise.
“I worked at Boeing for twenty years, so now, but I always wanted to do this,” Gudde said.
Morgan added: “You should be able to do what you love for a living.”
Vintage Rustoration is located at 431 N. Olympic Ave. and is open 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
The store’s official grand opening is the Friday and Saturday of Feb. 6-7.
For more information, call 425-405-8565.
