The Abode

People often look at an old piece of furniture and thinks it’s ready for the recycling pile because it’s the wrong colour. But Lynda Giesbrecht, owner of The Abode, a furniture and home décor store in Cloverdale, looks beyond the colour and sees the form and details hidden behind its shade. Often all the piece needs is a new vision, which includes a new colour and paint job.

“Many older pieces have such character and much of it is made from solid wood, but we throw it out because of the colour,” she says. “There is such amazing beauty in older pieces.” The furniture Lynda finds and refurbishes has a shabby-chic look, making them homey and comfortable, and that’s the feeling you get when you walk into The Abode.

The vintage look to her store fits the neighbourhood of Cloverdale, known as an old cowboy town. Every year, the historic town on the east side of Surrey features the Cloverdale Rodeo, attended by thousands of Western enthusiasts. The main street of Cloverdale, 176th Street just north of Highway 10, where Lynda opened her store in 2013, has been enjoying a renaissance and serves as the heart of the neighbourhood.

Cloverdale has also been featured on the television show Smallville and in dozens of movies filmed on the main street of the historic Western neighbourhood. “I love the area — it has so much potential,” Lynda explains.