“Something I’m really passionate about is taking items that maybe don’t look so great and turning them into something beautiful.”
- Tanya Stainbrook, owner of FrenChic Antiques
Starting as a vendor in the Whiteland Farmers Market before opening her shop in downtown Franklin, Tanya has been a business owner in Festival Country for four years. She works with local artists, antique vendors, and other consignors to promote their work and merchandise in her shop, and showcases antique pieces she's refurbished. Her shop has a unique European flair inspired by her upbringing in Germany. Tanya and her family moved to the United States when she was a teenager, but her European roots continue to inspire her decorating style.
Let’s meet the woman behind FrenChic Antiques.
Q: Who makes up FrenChic Antiques?
A: Upstairs in our store, we rent space to different antique dealers or vintage dealers. I’m super blessed with amazing vendors that bring in the coolest items. We currently have 12 vendors in our store, but we also have additional consignors, which are people that just have things, maybe like candles, and do that on consignment. But as far as the room upstairs goes, these are people that decorate it themselves, they price, they merchandise, and they do such a good job of it.
Q: What type of items does FrenChic Antiques sell?
A: Our store is a really good mix of things, so even at first glance you might think one thing, but as you walk around you’re going to notice a bunch of different items. We have rusty tools, we have shabby chic, we have industrial things, and we have all different types of things including local art from local artists. This isn’t a store where you have to like the frilly French style. If you just walk around a bit you’re going to find a really unique arrangement of things. Our vendors – we have a mix of them – we have some that do more farmhouse, we have some that do really girly, we have some that do rustic. So we try to incorporate every vibe in this store. You just have to walk around to see those different items.
Q: What is your favorite antique?
A: So, at FrenChic Antiques, we have a lot of really cool items, especially furniture. We have this antique piece of furniture, it’s over 100 years old and has a marble top on it, original pulls, which is really cool. A lot of times when we get pieces like this there might be some scuffs and scratches and I will take the time to refinish those pieces to bring them back to their original look.
Q: What is a fun fact about FrenChic Antiques?
A: We are super passionate about helping with the Johnson County Community Cat Foundation. You’ll find some QR codes throughout the store where you can donate directly to them, and we have a patio out back that we rent for events and part of that money goes to the Community Cat Foundation as well. If you are not a cat person, then you definitely should support this cause because what they do is they will fix feral cats out there so they quit reproducing. So, if you’re not a cat person, then Tilly (the shop cat) agrees that you should definitely support that foundation, which is what we’re really passionate about here at FrenChic Antiques.
Q: Do you have any fun events throughout the year?
A: We have a really cool event space out back as I mentioned before and we like to do a lot of fun events. So, we do every year something called Fright Night which is around Halloween time and it’s kind of a spooky fun-filled shopping night with discounts. We have a Mother’s Day event out on the back patio every year. Then throughout the year, we have done a few things like bingo. We are hoping to implement possibly Thursday night karaoke. We thought that would be fun for people to just come in and enjoy karaoke and maybe bring some snacks, so definitely stay tuned on our Facebook page for those upcoming events.
Q: What is the Local Artist Hallway?
A: What I love about this shop is that it’s not just my shop, it’s all of ours. We have some really talented people in here who showcase their local art, and so this is a way for people in the community who are locals to be able to showcase their hard work as well. So make sure if you come here, you definitely check out upstairs. Some of these paintings and creations are just really unique, so we’re just really proud to have these artists in our store as well.
Q: What’s it like being a female business owner in Festival Country Indiana?
A: Being a business owner itself is really difficult at times. I absolutely love what I do, but it’s hard, especially as a woman business owner, sometimes juggling when you have your house, kids, all of that good stuff. Not only that, but it’s very empowering. A lot of the furniture, the things that are heavy, I’m bringing it in here with the help of some other ladies. We do have a male employee that’s very helpful as well, but I think in this business, creating things, working with your hands, and just having that girl power is super empowering. I know owning a business is very difficult, a difficult task to do, but I’m just really proud to be working with a bunch of other women business owners in the area. I think it’s awesome to turn something that was nothing into something and to work around so many amazing, great women in the community is just awesome. I’m really happy to be a woman-owned business here in Franklin and we appreciate all your support.
