Walk into Patina Unique Boutique located at 2295 NW Broad Street in Murfreesboro, and you are immediately greeted by the proprietor, Blake Smith. Smith is one of those people who is always welcoming, making his customers feel like guests and his vendors like family.
The store consists of booths, like an antique mall, but this place offers a diverse array of goods representing more than 50 different vendors. Each vendor booth offers something special, from food to vintage home goods to new clothing to handmade jewelry. Everyone who enters is sure to purchase something, like the sourdough bread and other baked goods sold by Backroads Bakery, which also produces T&L Honey, a farmer’s market favorite.
“When I first brought up the idea of starting a store like this, my wife thought I was crazy,” said Smith. “It took a number of years to find the right location, but once I did, she was on board. And we are busy every day.”
Need a one-of-a-kind gift for a friend who has it all? Bet they don’t have a handmade wooden jewelry box shaped like a cowboy boot. Well, they have them at Patina. If you need a large metal steer sculpture for your yard, they have that, too.
Every little cubby in the store offers a unique story. The Chandler’s Designs booth offers handmade jewelry. Maker Chandler Williams Cartozzo has a deep love of Mother Earth and she has developed a line of wire-wrapped stone earrings, bracelets and pendants that fly off the shelves. Lily Belle Boutique offers simmer pots, dryer ball sets and more, while Vintage to the Rescue’s profits go towards saving stray animals. And Stitch and Snuggle offers soft hand-crocheted stuffed animals made by a kid for kids.
There is lots of vintage, such as clothing, accessories, serving bowls, and some famous guitars, as well as things like a Karl Lagerfeld handbag complete with a cartoon image of him and his precious cat, Choupette…