By Shelley Widhalm

Photo by Shelley Widhalm – Berthoud Vintage in downtown Berthoud offers furniture, home decor and clothing in an urban country style.

The Surveyor

Walking into Berthoud Vintage in downtown Berthoud is a step into an urban country home with the furniture, home décor and clothing on sale.

“It’s fun just collecting stuff and making this tiny little space look like a house,” said Courtney Vinaske, co-owner of Berthoud Vintage and a Berthoud resident for more than 20 years.

On March 1 Vinaske opened Berthoud Vintage at 434 Mountain Ave., Unit D, in the 500-square-foot space once occupied by Boho Boutique. The shop’s offerings are urban, industrial, and French country, with a rustic modern appeal and a lot of greenery.

“We wanted people to know where we are, and people like local stuff,” Vinaske said about the shop’s name. “Some of the stuff is vintage, and it sounded nice.”

Berthoud Vintage features new and refurbished furniture, from couches to tables and home décor, such as sculptures, artsy signs, baskets, containers and greenery. Vinaske sells homegrown dried lavender sourced out of Berthoud and will offer it fresh in July. She has a mini flower market with fresh flowers from a Denver vendor, offered during the warmer months. And she sells new women’s clothing, which she displays on racks and throughout the store, most of it styled to have a worn-in look.

“Everything in here is for sale,” Vinaske said about her shop, including the furniture, shelves and end tables used as displays.

Or almost. A repurposed screen door hanging from the ceiling and decorated with dried hops is part of the shop’s ambience.

“It’s a decorative piece we want to keep up all year, a good place for lights and decorations,” Vinaske said.

Kaili Nichols of Berthoud has shopped at the store and likes its offerings.

“It’s a business that will be successful in this town, because there’s nothing like it here,” Nichols said. “She has amazing prices. She’s not overpriced at all. Everything she has in there is refurbished, and they take their time to do it, or it’s picked special for people that are into the rustic, vintage look. … It’s not an antique store. It’s refurbished items they can use for décor for their homes.”

Vinaske opened the shop, in part, because she has an interest in interior design.

“I really like decorating, bringing life to a room in a unique way, throwing your own spin of style on it,” Vinaske said. “My own style is industrial. It’s different when you put stuff that belongs in a workshop in your house and you can make it into furniture.”

Vinaske repurposes some of the furniture and home décor she sells.

“It’s a calming thing for me. I need creativity to live,” Vinaske said. “I like to make it look like new and usable. … You can use all the stuff and put it in a way that looks tasteful.”

Vinaske did not have to make any changes to the shop before she moved in — she kept the same laminate wood flooring and off-white walls, plus the chandeliers. She got some help setting it up from her mother, Amy Lane, who owned an antique store in Berthoud when Vinaske was a child and now works in real estate, staging homes. She also co-owns the store with Vinaske.

“Courtney and I decided it would be a great addition to the downtown Berthoud area to have a friendly ‘small’ shop that carried affordable urban country home decor, gifts and clothing with that relaxed used feel,” Lane said. “We consistently are bringing in new additions to the store, so you’ll want to stop by often to see what’s new.”

Vinaske’s father, Alan Lane, and her brother, Colby Lane, made the store signs and, along with other family members, helped refurbish some of the furniture.

“They also help find things and send me things that might look good in the store,” Vinaske said. “It’s really great. I didn’t expect that much help.”

Before opening the store, Vinaske, a 2008 graduate of Berthoud High School, worked as a barista and shift lead and went to university for four years. She and her husband Richard have two children.

“I love owning a business here in town because I grew up here, so it’s really comfortable,” Vinaske said. “There’s so much support here for new businesses. … Opening day was amazing. Everyone was very kind and came in to support the business. We sold out of the big stuff.”

Berthoud Vintage is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.