Tiffany Taylor is in the business of making the old new.
When she spots an abandoned dresser on the curb, she scoops it up, brings it back to her workshop and makes it sparkle again.
“If someone like me doesn’t come along, it’s headed to the dump,” Taylor said. “That breaks my heart.”
Taylor sells her refurbished furniture, along with other upcycled finds and collectibles, out of her store called The Teal Trailer. The boutique is located in Leander Marketplace, a 3.5-acre property where local artisans have set up shop over the years.
Open on the weekends, Leander Marketplace features 16 vendors that sell a range of furniture, home decor, clothing, jewelry and oddities.
The property has been in owner Greg Dill’s family since the mid-1980s. His parents first used the space to host flea markets until 2000. The land sat vacant as Toll 183A was under construction. Finally in 2012, Dill decided to revitalize the place, adding buildings and vendors. Though his family has sold some of the land over the years, Dill said he has no plans to sell the marketplace.
“It’s been in my family for 30-something years,” Dill said. “It’s just part of Leander.”
The marketplace has been a way for people once crafting and selling products out of their homes to get their work in front of people, said Taylor, who manages the marketplace.
For Karen Vandergriff, owner of the shop My Fair Lady, selling her floral arrangements and furniture at the marketplace provides her with extra income during her retirement. The marketplace has also given her a community of business-owning women to confide in and laugh with, she said.
“It’s really fun to have women to talk to ... and learn from,” Vandergriff said. “I love it. We laugh a lot out here.”
For some, the marketplace has been a second chance to pursue a passion.
Angela Hobbes-Lopez sells crocheted sweaters, handmade bags and furniture. For years, she worked as a children’s mental health director for the state before deciding to follow her creative spirit and open Angela’s Accents, she said.
She said the products sold at the Leander Marketplace are items people cannot find anywhere else.
“It’s all unique, hand-crafted or refurbished,” Hobbes-Lopez said. “It’s handmade from the soul.”
Leander Marketplace
1291 E. Woodview Drive, Leander
559-964-7696
www.leandermarketplacetx.com
Hours: Fri. noon-6 p.m., Sat.-Sun.10 a.m.-6 p.m., closed Mon.-Thu.
