fbpx vie magazine subscribe button

Not Too Shabby Boutique

By Sallie W. Boyles | Photography provided by Not Too Shabby Boutique

Over thirty years ago, English designer Rachel Ashwell rather brilliantly coined the term “shabby chic” to describe a gentrified cottage look that features fine furnishings with sun-washed fabrics and distressed woods. Many design trends fade in and out of fashion, but shabby chic has sustained, spawning a mammoth industry with multiple subcategories—French country, English country, and beach cottage, to name a few.

Encouraged by a robust consumer demand for the aesthetic, furniture and accessories manufacturers have since churned out loads of new merchandise with a timeworn presence. Ironically, though, flooding the market with reproductions (many of which are poorly constructed and unlikely to withstand the test of time) defeats the premise of restoring and repurposing a tattered antique with good bones. In a world of copycats, however, Marisol and Tony Gullo, like the furniture and accessories they restore, are the real deal, and their Santa Rosa Beach coastal cottage–style boutique, Not Too Shabby, is a rare find, full of “refound, revived, and reloved” treasures.

Not too shabby boutique Rachel Ashwell VIE Magazine
I love the reaction on people's faces when they love something and know they'll be the only one on the planet who will have it.

Eager to explain the origins of the one-of-a-kind, hand-finished console tables, dining tables, coffee tables, headboards and footboards, chairs, cabinets, benches, mirrors, artwork, and more that he and Marisol bring to life, Tony says, “Whether we build from the ground up with various architectural remnants or begin with a vintage piece of furniture, we use quality. We then spend a lot of time designing and applying different finishes with techniques we have personally perfected. People are always saying, ‘You must love antiques,’ but we are just out looking for real wood. We are not going to put our time and effort into particleboard.” Tony reveals that a flawless job on a single piece of furniture requires a week on average to complete.

The Gullos also invest quite a bit of time traveling throughout the Southeast and elsewhere in search of their raw inventory. “We don’t have any secret sources,” says Tony. “We go to estate sales, houses with a sign in the yard, old barns, and neglected houses—with permission—and leave no stone unturned.” In addition to furniture, they’re always on the lookout for architectural components like arches, balusters, doors, and siding. A headboard and footboard, then, might be reinvented as a bench; an antique door could become a headboard.

Not too shabby boutique Rachel Ashwell VIE Magazine

Much of the artistry, which Tony attributes to Marisol, appears in her signature finishes, including paints, textiles, papers, and glass. “People come from all over to see our finishes and try to duplicate them,” says Tony, who welcomes their novice attempts. As it turns out, the Gullos owned and operated Urban Solutions for seven years, once the largest residential paint contractor on the Gulf Coast. “We are master faux finishers,” says Tony. When the housing market crashed in 2009, however, the work abruptly ended. Thus, the couple started over, turning their shared personal hobby into a new business.

Blending colors to produce the desired palette, the Gullos hand mix all of their paints, and they’re quick to point out that their paints, stains, and varnishes are water solvent and nontoxic. “We consider ourselves environmentalists,” says Tony, “so we strive to leave as little of a footprint as possible.” Reviving and repurposing antiques certainly serves that commitment.

Not too shabby boutique Rachel Ashwell VIE Magazine
When we first got started doing our thing, our passion was making French provincial furniture that looked as if it had come from an eighteenth-century château. We now infuse coastal colors and concepts. We also like to keep up with color trends, but we are not overly concerned about the price of tea in China. In other words, we like to set trends, not follow them

Accordingly, the Gullos encourage prospective customers to bring in their hand-me-downs or castoffs for restoration. “People often have older furniture that no longer fits in, or a family piece that no one wants but no one wants to get rid of,” says Tony. “Instead of throwing it away, they bring it to us and end up with a piece they love for less money than something new and made of particleboard.”

Not too shabby boutique Rachel Ashwell VIE Magazine

All in all, Tony and Marisol feel quite fortunate that the Not Too Shabby Boutique enables them to make a living and enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from succeeding as entrepreneurs. They are genuinely content. “Our plans for the future are to continue living in a place we love, doing what we absolutely love, and raising our son, Joshua. We’re not focused on being the biggest or the best … just the best that we can be.”

Indeed, a good portion of Not Too Shabby Boutique’s commissioned work entails refinishing pieces that customers already own. No matter what inspires a sale, Tony says, “I love the reaction on people’s faces when they love something and know they’ll be the only one on the planet who will have it.”

— V —


Not Too Shabby Boutique 3906 U.S. Hwy. 98 West, Suite 31 Santa Rosa Beach, FL (850) 419-3976 Not Too Shabby Boutique is also on Facebook. Hours of Operation: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday



Read Responsibly

VIE Magazine September 2023 Jay Mercado
VIE Magazine - The Art & Design Issue November 2021
VIE Magazine January 2021 Special Commemorative Edition
VIE Magazine September 2020 Wanderlust Issue, Fancy Camps, The Idea Boutique
VIE Magazine August 2020 Art & Culture Issue, Nathan Alan Yoakum Art
VIE Magazine - Architecture & Design Issue - July 2020
VIE Magazine - Decor and Home Issue - June 2020
VIE Magazine May 2020 Entertainment Issue, Leslie Odom Jr
VIE Magazine - April 2020 Culinary Issue
VIE Magazine March 2020 The Fashion Edit, VONDOM, Alys Beach Fl, Digital Graffiti, Tres Chic, isidro dunbar Modern Interiors, Digital Graffiti Festival
VIE Magazine February 2020 Health & Beauty Issue
VIE Magazine - Travel Issue - January 2020 - Tanzania Safari Cover
VIE Magazine - Women's Issue - December 2019 - Tina Brown Cover
VIE NOV19 Goodness Issue
VIE Magazine, September 2019 Art & Culture Issue, Paul Hanninen
VIE Magazine - August 2019 - The Architecture and Design Issue
VIE Magazine - July 2019 - The Artist Issue
VIE Magazine - June 2019 - Fashion Edit
VIE Magazine - May 2019 - Culinary Issue
VIE Magazine - April 2019 - The Health & Wellness Issue
VIE Magazine - Special Entertainment Edition - March 2019
VIE Magazine February 2019 Luxury Homes & Technology Issue with Robbie Antonio of Revolution Precrafted
VIE Magazine - January 2019 - Southern Sophisticate Issue Cover
VIE Magazine - Special Anniversary Travel Edition - December 2018
VIE Magazine - The Goodness Issue - November 2018
VIE Magazine - The Art & Culture Issue - October 2018
VIE Magazine - Home & Garden Issue - September 2018
VIE Magazine - August 2018 Animal Issue
VIE Magazine - July 2018 Architecture & Design Issue - Subscribe to the magazine!
VIE Magazine - June 2018 Travel & Tech Issue
VIE Magazine - May 2018 Couture Issue
VIE Magazine - The Culinary Issue - April 2018 Cover - Chef James Briscione and Brooke Parkhurst
VIE Magazine - The Entertainers Issue - March 2018
VIE Magazine - February 2018 Destination Travel Issue
VIE Magazine - January 2018 Health & Beauty Issue
VIE Magazine, The Sophisticate Issue, December 2017
VIE Magazine - November 2017 Art & Culture Issue
VIE Magazine - October 2017 Home & Garden Issue
VIE Magazine | September 2017 | The Stories and Storytellers Issue
VIE Magazine - The Adventure Issue - August 2017
VIE Magazine - July 2017 - Art & Artist Issue
VIE Magazine - The Voyager Issue - June 2017
VIE magazine 2017 March-April Cover South Walton Fashion Week
VIE Magazine - January/February 2017 - The Health & Beauty Issue
VIE Magazine - Nov/Dec 2016 The Sophisticate Issue
christian siriano vie magazine september october 2016 vie magazine
the modern minimalist issue
Summertime!
the culinary and couture issue march april 2016 vie magazine
the voyager issue alys beach vie magazine january february 2016
cultural issue vie magazine november december 2015
home and garden issue vie magazine september october 2015
the art and style issue vie magazine july august 2015
the wedding issue 2015 May June vie magazine
the food and fashion issue vie magazine march april 2015
the travel issue vie magazine january february 2015
the music issue vie magazine 2014 november december
The Animal Issue vie magazine september october 2014
the home and garden issue vie magazine july august 2014
the wedding issue vie magazine may june 2014
emeril lagasse food and fashion vie magazine
the men's issue january february 2014
the music issue november december 2013 vie magazine
the home and garden issue 2013 october september
the wedding issue vie magazine july august 2013
the artist issue may june 2013 vie magazine
the food and fashion issue march april 2013
the men's issue january february 2013 vie magazine
The Holiday Issue
the love issue july august 2012
the all american summer may june 2012
the entertainment issue march april 2012
the fashion issue vie magazine winter 2011
the home and garden issue vie magazine fall 2011
the anniversary edition vie magazine summer 2011
the wedding issue vie magazine spring 2011
vie magazine the holiday issue 2010 Dec
vintage swimsuits vie magazine 2010 Fall
judith march designer vie magazine summer 2010
wedding giveaway vie magazine spring 2010
holiday gift guide vie magazine winter 2009
emarketing explosion vie magazine fall 2009
tribute to mother's day vie magazine summer 2009
james and robert redford vie magazine spring 2009
zz top vie magazine fall winter 2008
project dreams vie magazine new york fashion week
Sign-up for VIEmail

Sign up for VIEmail


X

A LIFESTYLE