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Consider ‘new-to-you’ in the West Kootenay this Christmas

A great example is this wonderfully festive dollhouse on display at East Trail secondhand store
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Jennifer Bredl shared her festive dollhouse with the Second Hand Store and Sewing Centre in East Trail, a unique addition for the holiday season. Photo: Jim Bailey

The Second Hand Store and Sewing Centre in East Trail has added a unique addition to its holiday window display.

Trail resident Jennifer Bredl has painstakingly created a nine-bedroom miniature dollhouse complete with Christmas theme and festive lighting.

“It takes me about 20 hours to set up,” said Bredl. “But people get such a kick out of it, and that’s why I set it up. I try to do it every Christmas.”

Jennifer Brendl.
Jennifer Brendl.

Bredl says she found the house on the side of the road, and that it was in rough shape, so renovations were required. She upgraded the rooms, put down hardwood flooring made of Popsicle sticks, ceramic tiles, new wallpaper, and fresh paint, then furnished it with familiar family items.

“I have a very musical family so a lot of this is just really reflections of my life with my kids. If you walked into our family home in Nelson, it looked a lot like this in a lot of ways.”

The house is highlighted by the stone fireplace with mini stockings, a nativity scene, and Christmas tree. The intricate detail of many items is impressive right down to the little violin, tiny tools in the workshop, floral designs on miniature tea cups and the colourful micro-spools of thread in the sewing room.

“It’s a big thing the doll house industry, and then the furniture a lot of it comes from being ordered online, and a lot of things I’ve made, and I cruise second-hand stores all the time just looking for the little bits and pieces.”

Store owners Ron Niegum and Ruth Clark welcomed the gift of sharing. It compliments the Christmas store they just opened across the street, full of new-to-you seasonal items, including difficult-to-find Christmas lights, decorations, and gifts for the holiday season.

The parlour.
The parlour.

Reduce, reuse and recycle is becoming a necessity in today’s world considering the extreme effects of global climate change and recent supply shortages.

The Second Hand Store has been promoting that mantra ever since opening at its location at 1751 Second Ave. more than three years ago.

“The older things are better quality and hold together, you don’t have the transportation issues, you don’t have the packaging issues,” said owner Clark. “So North America has got to start recognizing the second hand market as much more viable, and more environmentally friendly and consumer friendly as a whole.”

The Christmas house can be viewed at The Second Hand Store, Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The store is also taking donations but asks the public to only drop off items during store hours.

Read more: Weaving together crafts and the great game of hockey in Trail

Read more: Kiwanis Christmas trees on the way (and have arrived!)



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Jim Bailey

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