A wide selection
Julia Godden stood amongst the knick-knacks at her store Piece & Quiet in the village of Russell. Van Dusen photo
Tom Van Dusen
Villager Contributor
RUSSELL – Julia Godden calls her new store in Russell Village “Piece & Quiet”… although it sounds like it’ll often be anything but.
As of last Saturday, Godden opened a “vintage, retro, boho, second-hand store” at the prominent intersection of Mill and Concession streets previously occupied by Aroma Café, one of several coffee shop incarnations at the same corner over the past 20 years. (For the uninitiated, boho is short for Bohemian).
The shop is jammed with an assortment of gently reused articles of every description, from furniture to clothing to bric-a-brac, some 5,000 items in all, including many stored in the basement. The stock will be replenished as required with Godden constantly on the lookout for additional somewhat offbeat merchandise.
Yes, normally, it’ll be peaceful and quiet at “Piece & Quiet”. But the new owner is planning a long list of themed events, most of them backed with appropriate music, with Elvis Night coming up this Friday followed by Led Zeppelin/Black Sabbath combo night Saturday. For last-minute boho shoppers, the store will also be open Sunday and Christmas Eve; hours which may change are posted on Facebook.
Raised in Cumberland and now living in Kenmore, Godden rented the space at the beginning of December and immediately went on a three-week shopping spree to fill it. A big vintage fan herself, she admits to having trouble parting with some of the newly acquired items; running Peace & Quiet around her full-time job, Godden said it’s something she always dreamt of doing.
Her goal is to bring shoppers special, quality goods with spirit, a selection to make Russell’s commuters forget the bright lights of the big city at least for a little while. A quick tour of the space reveals she’s doing just that… and at a very affordable price.
Some examples include a John Lennon coffee mug, $12; a kitchy shelf cat, $15; a butterfly print portfolio, $10; a purse hand-decorated with buttons, $10; and one of Godden’s personal favourites, a colourful owl for $20 which she finds “serene.”
Opening night was a huge success with lots of sales and the new business earning rave reviews on Facebook. If she doesn’t have what you’re looking for in the store, she’ll try to find it… including several World Wrestling Federation trophy cups she has a request for. Talk about kitch!
