“Blessed” Vintage Rugs
From Supply Chain Management to Unique Vintage Rugs and Home Decor.
Before we ever met in person, the two of us first “chatted” extensively about our favorite books on Instagram. When we eventually met in real life, our 30-minute business meeting turned into an impromptu two-hour plus discussion about vintage rugs and home decor, toxin-free skincare and lifestyle, challenges of perimenopause, raising kids, wellness, yoga, and a plethora of other topics of mutual interest. I remember walking out of our first meeting feeling that I just met another kindred spirit.
On our BLOG, we like to shine spotlight on strong women who are small business owners, are incredible at what they do, and are an amazing gift to our community.
I would like you to meet Nicole Kreuz, the owner of Bente Vintage in Lake Barrington, IL.
Anita: You launched your online store a little over 4 ½ years ago while your brick-and-mortar store has been more of a recent addition. Congratulations on your recent 1st anniversary of your store in Lake Barrington! What is Bente Vintage?
Nicole: Bente Vintage is a vintage home store in Lake Barrington. We launched Bente online in February 2020 and it was one of those right places, right time moments. Our website was up and then all of a sudden the world slowed down and people were home. We were all focused on making our homes beautiful and shopping online.
Thank you, we are so happy to be a part of the Barrington community. We have been welcomed so fully by our clients and other 60010 businesses. The brick-and-mortar has been an absolute dream and has brought so many fun events, we have hosted floral events, an art exhibit from a local Barrington artist, and Summer Solstice to name a few!
Anita: What's the story of Bente Vintage and the meaning behind this beautiful name of your shop?
Nicole: Bente (pronounced Ben-tah) is a Norwegian name meaning “blessed” and I feel so blessed to be running Bente and so fortunate to pursue a creative career, I don’t take that lightly. My Norwegian heritage is important to me, I think even more so after traveling to Norway and seeing the farmstead my grandfather’s great-grandfather lived in. We started with vintage and antique rugs, thus the vintage.
My background is in Supply Chain. I found rugs when I was picking out paint colors for our first house. I kept seeing these amazing rooms and realized the thing I liked most was the rugs! After a few months of research, I started buying rugs and realized how amazing they are not only in theory but in use, the texture, the craftsmanship, the colors, and the fact that they are so hardwearing and stain-resistant! I found my passion. One of my first purchases lives proudly in our home in our kitchen and looks even better now.
When we decided to launch Bente, I chose 50 rugs, we took photos and created our brand and voice, I knew exactly what I wanted. My husband designed the logo and website. (We enjoyed this part so much, we later launched Studio Bente, our marketing company.) Two weeks later we sold our first rug to an actress in California! I ran Bente while continuing to work my corporate job for two years before going full-time which was wild as our kids were 2 and 4. Early on, I went into a rug shop and developed a 10+ year friendship with my now-mentor, and still have a great relationship with him. It gives me such a feeling of safety, when weird things come up, I have someone to immediately turn to and moreover, someone to continually learn from.
Anita: Why did you decide to open Bente Vintage here in Lake Barrington?
Nicole: As a local gal, I have been shopping in this area with my mom for years. It’s been a dream of mine to open a shop here. When we went all in on the shop, we were three and a half years in, had a good Instagram following, and had been recognized in a few big publications and done some insane Collections with Designers Natalie Myers, Anne Sage, and FIXE but 80% of our clients were in California. Having the built-in foot traffic from the other local shops was essential, it took off a lot of pressure. The Pepper Park/ 60010 shops have been so lovely to include Bente in their marketing and events like the Holiday Open House with big hitters like Winterberry, Tattered Tiques, and Pink Geranium. All these shops create such a shopping destination. Not to mention the Barrington Chamber, which is also amazing and organizes fun and well-attended events like the Cocoa Crawl, which has helped people find us!
I’m big on community and recently co-founded a female entrepreneur group, the Barrington Area Women's Collaborative with my lovely friend Liz Annetti. We wanted to create a collaborative, fun group of women where we support each other, do collaborative events, and build friendships as we build our businesses. I am looking forward to seeing all the good that comes out of this group. Big shout out to other members: Rodina Botanicals, Apres Bakery, Adruni Vineyards, Yoga 6, Nektar, Grace Gardens, and Ahavah Organic Salon and Spa.
Anita: What type of products does Bente Vintage carry?
Nicole: We carry 90% vintage home decor items. We focus on items that have character, patina, and story, and that make a home feel collected, cozy, and interesting. In addition to your typical home decor items, we specialize in vintage and antique Persian, Turkish, and Moroccan rugs (and a few new Moroccans mixed in).
We also carry beautiful rug fragment pillows. I love them because they bring such beautiful texture and pattern. You don’t need to commit to a whole rug or move any furniture, you can just move them around your home.
Additionally, we carry vintage pottery, art, baskets, furniture, and lamps, and started our own candle and hand soap line. Our new items are handmade and special, that’s the filter I use in bringing in non-vintage items.
We are proud to carry Rodina Botanicals products. I use them myself (they always make the cut when I change purses!), so it just makes sense to sell them in the shop. We also sell gift cards; they make for great gifts!
Anita: I know you offer complimentary domestic shipping. What additional services do you offer through your shop? Do you work with interior designers? And where can we find some of your rugs and other home decor being featured?
Nicole: We do! We offer styling services and a trade discount to interior designers. We also offer rugs on approval and custom rug searches, I can’t possibly stock every rug, but I have amazing suppliers.
Our rugs have been featured in Rue, Vogue, Domino, Dwell, Emily Henderson, and Apartment Therapy!
Anita: I find high-quality vintage rugs so magical! I also love the fact that it is a great way to be eco-friendly. If someone is interested in adding vintage rugs to their home decor, what are some of the questions they should ask themselves first?
Nicole: Vintage rugs are a great way to be eco-friendly and they last forever, not like the plastic rugs that will end up in the landfill (and off-gas in your home, yuck). Some of the main selling points for me are that our handmade rugs are hardwearing, they repel stains, and they are great in high-traffic areas - even kitchens! I would have them ask themselves what rooms they are looking for rugs and to come in and talk to me. We can measure the spaces (I recommend using painter's tape to visualize the ideal rug size) and determine the best fit for the space.
Anita: Could we talk about rug upkeep too?
Nicole: When stains do happen, I advise my clients to take a white washcloth and dab, starting with just room-temperature water. If that doesn’t work, try a little bit of baby shampoo, and dab dab dab.
And for anything major, like a pet stain, take your rug to your rug dealer asap. They will have a relationship with a reputable rug cleaning company. Avoid the dry cleaner.
Anita: Since we are talking about vintage rugs, I must ask. What’s the oldest known rug in the world?
Nicole: Good question! Carpet making dates to 500 BC, back to the time of the Phonecians, the pharaoh Menses, the beginning of the Roman Republic...5000 years ago! The oldest existing pile rug, the Pazyryk carpet, is 2500 years old. It was discovered in 1949 in the Altai Mountains off a trade route. The gravesite had been robbed and was left open, which turned the carpet into a block of ice and preserved it until it was discovered.
Anita: I have also always been curious as there are so many different types of rugs, what are they usually named after?
Nicole: Rugs are typically named after the nearest city (or region) they were woven. You may have heard of Heriz, Hamadan, Malayer, Mahal, and Anatolian, these are all cities in Iran and Anatolia is a region in Turkey.
Anita: I love how in your monthly emails, you feature different rugs of the month.
What is currently your favorite rug of the month?
Nicole: Oh, thank you! Whittier, our first rug of the month is a favorite. He’s currently in Cali on a photo shoot with TerraMar Interiors! Currently, I need to choose a new favorite, probably from our new shipment for November.
Anita: You wear a lot of hats, including being a small business owner, wife, and mother of two kiddos; how do you find time for some much-needed self-care? What is your favorite way to recharge?
Nicole: There are a lot of hats! But I love it! I am working on incorporating rest. I love an Epsom salt bath, a sauna session, a walk around the neighborhood, or when I’m not in the functional freeze, in nature– there are so many great hiking trails around. I use reading to calm myself down at night.
Anita: I know the two of us share a passion for reading. What book(s) are on your nightstand right now? And currently, what is your favorite book?
Nicole: I’m currently reading The Maidens (so far, it’s just ok) and 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think. I absolutely loved The Wedding People, I read that last month. As for a favorite, I can’t choose, but the book I’ve been recommending the most lately is 101 Essays. It’s taking me a long time to read it. I want to have a book club on it, it’s so immediately helpful.
Anita: We at Rodina Botanicals are about overall wellness, especially organic, plant-based, natural skincare. In your daily skincare routine, are you camp facial oil or camp moisturizer, and which do you prefer, liquid lotions, lotion bars, or whipped body butter? And do you have a favorite Rodina Botanicals product? If so, what is it?
Nicole: I am camp facial oil! It’s a game-changer. My favorite is the Wild Meadows cuticle oil, hands down. It smells amazing, is portable and clean, and it works! My mom gifts it to everyone, she is just as big of a fan!
Anita: What is next for Bente Vintage?
Nicole: The shop is decorated and ready for the holidays! And we just got in a 400 lb rug order from Turkey– stop in to see the new old rugs. They are glorious, and I am working on pricing them now and resting my back.
We are hosting a wreath-making party in early December and a party to celebrate the shop being open a year! We love hosting events at the shop. I also love styling and have two open slots for styling- reach out if you’re interested!
I’m excited to do my early January manifesting session. I need to check last year’s and see what came of it. We will also resume our book club; we have the last half of Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act to talk through!
Anita: Thank you, Nicole! Wishing you a great holiday season!
Note: In addition to visiting their Lake Barrington store, check out Bente Vintage online at Bente Vintage, follow them on Instagram and join their monthly newsletters here.
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Anita is the founder and the owner of Rodina Botanicals.
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