New shop aims to rethink home décor

ALTON — In a world where everything feels disposable, Catchpenny’s aim is to reuse, recycle, and reclaim materials that would have otherwise been discarded.

Llocated at 5 Monument Square in downtown Alton, Catchpenny shows customers how to rethink home décor. The shop features an assortment of handmade, vintage, and reclaimed pieces.

Jacob Bemis, the shop owner, said he hopes the company will offer a reprieve from a world of mass-production.

“There are so many quality pieces of furniture forgotten by time," he said. "They just need a little love — or sometimes a new purpose.”

His refinished furniture is on prominent display — all of it having been salvaged and reclaimed.

Catchpenny is creating high-quality and sustainable home décor that’s still fresh and on-trend. The classic pieces in Catchpenny have been reimagined for modern life.

The shop is staged by Aimee Terravechia, Catchpenny’s designer. She has created spaces within the showroom to give customers ideas of how they can curate their own homes. She also offers interior design and staging services for homes and businesses.

“My hope is to empower homeowners to think critically about what they have in their homes," she said. "Our stuff isn’t just stuff. It carries weight with it, and it should tell the story of who we are.”

The anti-waste philosophy of Catchpenny is melded with visual storytelling. Their showroom isn’t filled with whitewashed magazine perfection (and likely never will be).

“I don’t want people to walk into their homes and think, ‘This is a magazine cover.’ I want people to walk into their homes and think, ‘This is home,’” Terravechia said.

Catchpenny also will be offering customizable handmade décor items for client spaces.

“Your home is a little lived-in museum of your life," she said. "You get to curate it.”

Every item in Catchpenny’s showroom is imbued with those two philosophies. Most things are vintage or reclaimed — with paint, stain, and other embellishments that make them make sense for modern homes. Some are entirely handmade, with a sense of craftsmanship not often seen. Pieces range in era and material, but the shop maintains a cohesive collection due to the design vision of the husband-and-wife team behind it.