Jill Rinner started collecting when her grandmother gave her a piece of milk glass at the age of 14. From then on, she was hooked.
As the owner of a new vintage and upcycled goods store in Lansing's Old Town, Rinner has created a business that invites people to experience the depth and breadth of objects from previous times. Her appreciation of vintage and antique goods permeates her life—including everything from her approach to travel to decorating her home to advising others on creating warm, inviting spaces.
"I think people should live with sentimental objects," says Rinner. "Things they have a connection to. People matter the most, but things matter, too. They have the power to remind us of the people and times that have gone before."
In early 2017, Rinner decided to attach a presence to her six-month-old blog "The Life That's Lived There" by opening The Life That's Lived There Vintage Marketplace. She arrived at the juncture after learning that her friend Carol Lamb was retiring and closing Lambs' Gates Antiques at 1219 Turner St. Rinner had been longing to return to curating and running a brick-and-mortar shop. In July 2016, her previous enterprise Bungalow 47 had gone to a distribution-only model to focus on the shop's signature chalk and clay paint line.
"I just had this nagging feeling that I wanted to get a booth somewhere," she says. "So when Carol told me she was retiring and said I should consider taking over the shop and adding my own flair, I did."
The Vintage Marketplace opened March 18 after a couple months of moderate reconfiguring. The shop will continue to feature objects from pickers who supplied Lambs' Gates, as well as Rinner's vintage finds and merchandise like T-shirts, jewelry, leather bags and soap. The shop's footprint includes the main floor plus a refinished basement with seven display rooms—each decked out with themes like rustic, retro, farmhouse, cottage and music. Eventually, she hopes to hold classes in design and upcycling.
Right before opening, Rinner announced an additional element she is bringing to the 2,800 square foot market: an area featuring baked goods from the popular Sweetie-licious. Rinner says the baked good space consists of a counter and case created from picked and salvaged pieces, as well as vintage chairs she found on a recent trip with her daughter.
"This store is a reflection of my passion for vintage décor," says Rinner. "I've always said that my home is the scrapbook of my life. It's filled with the pebbles you've picked up in life—through trips or from loved ones or through collecting. Older items have that pretty patina and history. That's why I love it so much."
The Life That's Lived There Vintage Marketplace will retain the five staff who worked at Lambs' Gate and create two new jobs.
Source: Jill Rinner, Owner, The Life That's Lived There Vintage Marketplace
Writer: Ann Kammerer, News Editor
Got a story idea for Capital Gains? Email Ann Kammerer here.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.