Beloved Columbia antique store grows so popular it’s opening 2nd location

An unlikely strip mall off Two Notch Road houses an eclectic antique mall that’s getting ready to expand its presence across the Midlands.

Retro signage, stately statues and a buzzing parking lot characterize the building that Ivy House has called home for more than a decade in the Pontiac region of Elgin, northeast of Columbia.

Now, the mall of 70 vendors that sell antique, vintage and repurposed goods along with handmade and local art, jewelry and clothing, is crossing Columbia and expanding into Lexington.

After a seven-year search, Ivy House will open a second location this spring in the former Sherwood’s Furniture Barn warehouse. The new location at 4211 Augusta Road, will include 15,000 square feet of space that current and new vendors will fill.

“The concept behind Ivy House is to provide a platform so that our vendors can be prosperous so that the store can make money so that we can support ourselves and local charities,” co-owner Ruth Rauch said.

Rauch and her husband, Paul, are Christian ministers who want to use their business to serve God and the public, Rauch said. They donate proceeds to local charities including Oliver Gospel, Reconciliation Ministries, PETSinc and Fostering Foster. But Ivy House in itself isn’t religiously affiliated.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about taking care of people,” Rauch said. “That’s the background of what motivates us daily.”

Ruth Rauch was a vendor at Ivy House before the couple, who also owns Reliable Signage and Lighting, bought it from its original owner in 2015. When they bought the business, about 30 vendors sold antique or homemade items there. They’ve more than doubled that number and also have a long waiting list for potential vendors, she said.

“It’s gotten to where we have so many people trying to be a vendor with us, that we feel like it’s necessary to expand,” Rauch said.

The new Lexington location is fitting for Ivy House because it was already divided up into small showrooms, Rauch said. It will nearly triple the available space for vendors.

Vendors Rob and Angie Kinkaid quit their corporate jobs and have been making a living from selling at Ivy House since 2019. They began by making custom, farmhouse-style furniture for fun before transitioning into being full-time small business owners.

Even though they live about an hour away from the current Ivy House location — the new location will be slightly closer for the couple — their increasing sales have proved that it’s worth the drive.

“There’s something here for everyone, no matter what your taste is,” Angie Kinkaid said. “That’s what I love about it.”

Mary Rodriguez, another vendor and front desk worker, said the same. Every generation and style is represented in the hodge-podge of antique and vintage items alongside homemade art.

She said she’s known for her “fun, silly” paintings of cows, pigs and chickens, but she also started flipping and repainting furniture, too.

What separates Ivy House from other vendor markets is its staging and presentation, Rodriguez said.

“You’ll see a lot of antique stores where it’s just dusty shelves, but (here) they try to find pretty things and show you how you can set them up in your house,” Rodriguez said. “It’s the attention to detail from each and every one of the vendors.”

Not only is the staging carefully crafted, but the items also frequently change. The Kinkaids restock their store weekly.

Ivy House’s clean, ever-changing displays are what attract customer Deanna Hoyt-Zoeller to keep coming back several times a month since it opened. She said she walks out with a new purchase almost every time she visits.

“Vendors turn things over a lot because people shop here so frequently,” Hoyt-Zoeller said. “You’re always kind of surprised when you come here.”

That’s the goal, Ruth Rauch said. She wants Ivy House to be a place for customers to unwind and save money shopping.

“We want it to be a place where they can relax and let their minds escape the burdens and pressures of their day,” Rauch said. “Many customers come in and say, ‘Oh my goodness, my momma used to have that,’ and their minds go back to treasured memories.”

The new site is undergoing renovations now, and the Rauches are aiming to open it as soon as March.