Kate Aldrich and Tim Shaffer, owners of Patina Decor, pose for a photo in their store, downtown, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2019.
Monday, Dec. 30, 2019 | 2 a.m.
Related Stories
Kate Aldrich and Tim Shaffer know the story behind each piece of vintage clothing and furniture in their store, Patina Decor in downtown Las Vegas.
They travel the world to pick pieces, from Parisian chandeliers to Dior dresses, that not only reflect their own style but appeal to a clientele interested in high-end items. Their store is among a number of downtown retro boutiques and thrift shops.
But rising rent in the area and a partial roof collapse have pushed the couple to reevaluate their business plan and whether Patina Decor has a future on Main Street.
“We aren’t necessarily being pushed out, but we’ve had issues with the building that makes us want to look and see what’s available,” Shaffer said.
“We found that rents are so high that I don’t think a store like ours would be able to be viable down here anymore,” he said.
Shaffer and Aldrich opened the store, located at 1300 S. Main St., in 2012, when Las Vegas businesses were recovering from the Great Recession. The area looked much different then, with warehouses and family owned furniture and mattress stores.
Still, they envisioned something different for the neighborhood, hoping it would someday have a more diverse array of businesses, coffee shops and restaurants. They pictured a neighborhood with nightlife and daytime activities.
But it paid off, as Main Street and the surrounding Arts District would soon bloom into antique alley, with stores like Antique Alley Mall and Main Street Mercantile.
Coffee shops like Makers and Finders and restaurants like Esther’s Kitchen helped diversify the neighborhood, giving locals and tourists a place to eat, drink and shop.
But the couple has also faced challenges along the way.
Nearby construction projects have limited parking and blocked rights of way, which slowed business, Shaffer said.
On top of that, they found high-end furniture and art was not enough to cover the costs of doing business, which has prompted the store to focus more on vintage clothing and items that attract a younger crowd, Aldrich said.
The most significant event, however, occurred over the summer, when a new air-conditioning unit caused the roof on the building to partially collapse, the couple said.
“Right now, it’s propped up enough to be safe, but it’s going to be a six-month project just redoing the entire roof, which means we will have to close,” Shaffer said. “So we’re debating, should we go somewhere new?”
The couple said they want to stay in the area, but nearby storefronts rent for nearly double what they are paying for their 3,000-square-foot showroom and are only half the size. “Now that the area is nice, we can’t afford it anymore,” Aldrich said.
This isn’t the first time the couple have had to contemplate a move.
Shaffer and Aldrich moved from their original location, where Buffalo Exchange now resides, when a new landlord told them he was going to double their rent, they said.
They are, however, determined to keep a store open one way or another.
In the meantime, they plan to launch a major sale to clear out as much merchandise as possible and brace for construction set to begin in late spring. The sale will begin the first or second week of January.
