By Sandy Dale
Just when you think the Blahs of Winter here in Colorado are going to get you down, a beautiful spring-like day comes along, or here in Florence, something special happens…the birth of a fabulous new store. Heartland Classic at 225 E. Main can hardly be called a store. It is an “elegant environment.” The quintessential model of what I call High Victorian and how we’d all like our Victorian homes to look. I guess I could go on and on, but here are a few photos to whet your appetite.
Elsie Ore and her husband Keith, Florence mayor, ‘accidentally’ opened their third store in Florence in January. Most folks familiar with Florence have shopped in Heartland Antiques and Gifts for great antiques and gifts and in Heartland Boutique for fabulous clothes and accessories, but – as they say – you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. When Keith and Elsie decided to purchase a cute little fixer-upper duplex on East Main, the realtor said he could throw in the vacant Victorian bungalow next door for a bit more if they were interested. They were. Construction on the “bungalow” was completed in 190l for A. R. Gumaer, one of the wealthiest oil pioneers in Colorado. Among the many magnificent rooms is a “Turkish” room with a domed ceiling and fireplace now furnished with an exquisite chandelier and a grand piano.
Elsie’s past life experiences in Kentucky and Wheat Ridge, CO as a realtor, interior decorator, floral designer and a “dibbler and dabbler” in art are lusciously apparent. I always feel like I’ve taken a step back in time here in Florence, but after a visit to Heartland Classic I feel it must be time for tea…
From Heartland Classic on the Elegant East End to Willie’s Antiques (next month’s topic) on the Wondrous West End, you can find fine vintage Victorian in Florence.
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