Chapter 1: P10
Trove Table Talk: Meet Our Floral Fanatic
We drove to Elaine's home through cozy streets in Grandview, OH- the neighborhood she loves so much. She greeted us with her usual cheery smile behind a white picket fence surrounded by whimsical wild flowers and it was exactly the scene we would have imagined. Elaine has been part of our Trove family for 4 years and she plays such an integral role in our tight-knit team. She came to Trove initially in hopes of partnering up on a donation for a local gala she was chairing and we haven't let her leave yet!
As we walked in the door we noticed the first of many little Irish touches. This sign translates to "ten thousand welcomes" and it seemed very fitting of the warm, inviting feeling we had walking into Elaine's home. Her house was built in 1939 and has all the rustic wood charm and character you would expect of a classic Grandview cape cod. She and her husband, Rich, have lived here for 32 years with their two sons, Connor and Colin.
An organically shaped acacia slice table adorned with a bright emerald bromeliad greeted us right when we walked inside. Elaine has a love of plants (her Trove nickname is the floral fanatic for good reason!) and her home shines with living green touches.
Many of the pieces in her home are Trove finds (we dig her style) or re-purposed items with tons of character and warmth. Elaine's sister Beth found this gorgeous display cabinet in Cincinnati that's made with reclaimed wood from Ireland. It sits right in the center of her living room and displays an array of meaningful accents that remind her of some of the most important people in her life.
We absolutely love Elaine's design sense and the adorable custom swivels she put together in this delicate blue and white striped fabric are no exception! We think they add the perfect amount of tailored lightness to her living room. A framed Irish prayer sits front and center above the fireplace along with a pencil drawing done by her brother Jim that holds an important place in Elaine's heart.
Elaine studied fashion illustration at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh then worked in advertising at Madison's, a women's clothing boutique downtown, before moving on to become a travel agent for 28 years. She was looking for a creative outlet so she took a job as a florist for a bit and decided to start her own landscaping business called Yard Charmer. She met her husband Rich at the car dealership he used to work for while she was out shopping for a new set of wheels and 37 years later he loves to joke that he's still servicing the sale. We're pretty sure that's exactly the story she was telling just as this photo was taken!
As we continued our tour through Elaine's home, she took us through her cozy sitting room complete with this comfy sectional she created at Trove. A rustic one-of-a-kind student bench plays perfectly against light lemon walls accented by her custom John Lennon "Dreamer" art piece.
The last area of her home that we visited is absolutely the most Elaine of them all. Her bright and airy sun porch has windows filling every inch to let the breeze through. She and her family love hosting friends in this space for dinner and drinks in the summer or to watch the rain in the spring. Elaine told us this is her happy place and we can absolutely understand why!
Green vines sprinkled with bright coral flowers cascade over the pergola leading out to her back patio. You can hear the faint sound of water trickling from the fountain and you're completely surrounded by lush green. When Elaine's not at Trove helping our customers create beauty in their own homes, she loves to be right here reading a book or taking a walk up to the local pool to relax in the sun.
We loved getting a little glimpse into the home of one of our favorite people who most definitely deserves a moment in the Trove spotlight. Elaine always brings lightness and laughter whenever she walks into the store and we know you all love her just as much as we do!
We can't wait to keep learning more about all of our awesome team members and take you with us as we feature each of them here on the journal!
TROVE
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