Homestory Vintage opens in downtown Niles

Published 4:18 pm Thursday, November 3, 2022

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NILES — Cat Dobecki remembers her first time as an antique vendor like it was yesterday.

“My first booth was the size of a closet,” she recalled.

Seven years and dozens of shows later, Dobecki enjoyed the grand opening of her new antique and vintage storefront, Homestory Vintage, 218 N. Front St.,Thursday.

“It felt wonderful,” she said. “It felt so good to open the door and see somebody come in and be like ‘hi, I’m so happy to see you.’”

The store was originally scheduled to open Wednesday but Dobecki was forced to close 30 minutes before its scheduled grand opening after a city-contracted electrical inspector stated the final inspection had not yet been completed.

Attempts to reach the inspector were unsuccessful. 

The news was a surprise to the Dobeckis, who were told by their contractor that all inspections had been completed and approved. Devastated but determined, Dobecki worked with the city to complete the inspection and was able to open the store Thursday morning. She said several customers and community members reached out with kind words via social media following the rescheduling of her grand opening.

“So many people reached out on social media to say ‘we are coming, we’re here to support you, we cannot wait for you to be part of the community,’” she said. “The customers have been wonderful. We appreciate it.”

Similar to a pop-up market, Homestyle Vintage will be open five days per month, with each month featuring new items curated by Dobecki, herself.

November Market hours are:

Wed., Nov. 2 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thurs., Nov. 3 – 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 4 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sat., Nov. 5 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 6 – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Homestory Vintage will also be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26 for Small Business Saturday.

Dates for the December Market have also been released:

Wed., Dec. 7 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thurs., Dec. 8 – 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 9 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sat., Dec. 10 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 11 – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.