For Kitsch Carson owners Amelia and Joseph Handschuh, their new boutique is more than a simple retail store for clothing and home goods; it’s a love letter to the history of textiles, art and the “stewardship of objects.”
Coming soon to downtown Carson City, the new home and apparel lifestyle store will be opening in June between So Juicy and the old Secretary of State’s office. But not before the pair puts their stewardship dedication to the test — they are in the process of reviving the historic building back to its original glory. So far, this has included removing the office-style drop ceiling, scraping away the decades of paint from the upper-level windows to bring more light into the space, and unveiling beautiful hardwood flooring.
The store will feature curated vintage home furnishings and clothing, alongside custom stone furniture and selections of local art, and size-inclusive apparel made from sustainable materials like cotton, linen and wool. Amelia said the boutique is designed to be a tactile, community-focused alternative to the isolation and impulsivity of buying fast-fashion or cheaply made goods online.
Relying on her double major in fine art and communications — including studies in photography, Asian art and pottery — Amelia said she takes the heavy lifting out of antique shopping. Rather than forcing customers to dig through crowded thrift store bins, she uses her trained eye for historical marks, glazes and patinas to pre-vet all the merchandise.
For Amelia, the work is not just about selling old things. It is about giving them a second life and pushing back against fast fashion, cheaply made online goods and disposable shopping habits.
“You go to estate sales and you look at how people live and what they cultivate over a lifetime, and you can tell a story about their life,” she said. “It’s really special to be able to take something that they found special and then pay it forward. I call myself a steward of objects.”
Kitsch Carson isn’t truly ‘kitsch’ by nature — as lifelong Carson City residents (their “meet cute” story comes from working as baristas at Java Joe’s) the pair loved the mash-up between Carson City’s namesake Kit Carson and the concept of kitschiness, which Amelia thinks fits Carson well.
“The irony is that I’m not particularly kitsch, but I really feel like Carson City is in so many ways, so it’s a wonderful kind of mashup — I couldn’t believe no one else had taken it.”
Instead, Amelia describes the vibe of the store as being a cross between a Nancy Meyers movie (think The Parent Trap, What Women Want, The Holiday, etc.) and a Ralph Lauren catalog: heritage Americana with a bit of an academia aesthetic.
In addition, Joseph is a stone contractor, and together the pair also own the company Excelsior Stone, which specializes in high-end residential stone fabrication throughout the region, but Amelia’s background in Fine Arts led her to dip her toe into the vintage and antique industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They welcomed their daughter during the shutdown, and Amelia said she had been looking for somewhere safe to go just to get out of the house, when she started going to thrift stores in the area.
“I found that the community was really welcoming to us, and they didn’t mind if I walked around and looked at things [with the baby],” Amelia said. “I started discovering there’s a lot of wonderful objects that just need to find a new home. And I found that I’m really good at finding good old stuff.”
She was able to rekindle her love of art and design through deep dives into the world of quality antiques, but what she loved even more was talking to others about their style, figuring out what they were looking for, and finding something to fit their taste. “It all kind of goes hand in hand — it’s about how you see the world, how you interact with objects. I like engaging with people and talking about what they love, and having an almost sixth sense about finding something that they’ll find special.”
Amelia’s interest in keeping history through objects alive isn’t only from her background in the arts; her grandparents built the historic Mill House motel on Carson Street (the one with the waterwheel). Whether its a historic Carson City building, a vintage suitcase repurposed as a side table, or a Lanvin burgundy leather trench coat sourced at auction from a French atelier — to Amelia, they are more than simple places or objects.
Beyond simply curating vintage goods, Kitsch Carson is tapping into a growing cultural movement where people are actively seeking to slow down and embrace analog experiences. Amelia notes that people are increasingly “tired of being on their phones” and crave physical spaces where they can have real conversations and experience the “tactile of everything.” She said she has seen a distinct “pivot away from mass consumerism” as customers hunt for high-quality items that possess a genuine sense of story rather than settling for instantly accessible, “vanilla” goods from places like Amazon or IKEA.
Recognizing that modern society has drifted away from a “connected way of participating,” Amelia hopes her boutique will provide a space for genuine real-world engagement.
However, when people hear “curated” they typically will assume this means “dollar signs,” but Amelia says this isn’t the case at Kitsch Carson; she lives here, she grew up here, she knows what the demographic of our town is. While certain items like the aforementioned French trench are priced higher, she is committed to offering items and clothing at every price point, for every customer.
“I’m middle class like most of the people in my community are as well,” she said. “And I want to offer things for everybody and have a price point for everybody.”
Vintage & New Clothing
Amelia said that commitment to accessibility also extends to clothing, as they are also actively fighting against the tradition of boutiques only carrying small sizing that does not accurately reflect the needs of the average buyer.
The issue really comes from purchasing wholesale whether it’s from large companies or independent small makers. Amelia explained that when purchasing clothing, a standard pre-packaged set includes two smalls, two mediums and two larges. But these sizes don’t reflect every buyer, and it actually can turn customers away from a space.
“I want it to be normal to say, ‘I have something that’s going to fit you,’” Amelia said. “No matter what size someone is, if they go into a shop, no matter how cool the clothes are, if they can only find one item in their size, they don’t feel welcome.”
She said this issue is especially difficult in sourcing vintage clothing, because most clothing prior to the modern era were made for bodies that were both thinner and shorter. Plus, she said, she enjoys supporting small, sustainable clothing makers she can purchase from directly in the US or even better: made locally.
Home Goods & Art
The shop will also carry locally made artwork and home goods, including stone furniture handmade by Joseph through Excelsior Stone. Amelia said they work to keep stone fragments out of landfills by reclaiming them and crafting them into high-end furniture pieces.
Alongside locally created art, Amelia said customers will be able to find other items that lean into the heritage Americana and academia-inspired aesthetic such as old books, paintings, pottery, a dedicated men’s clothing and decor section, vintage and new bedding, gifts for loved ones, candles, soaps, and more.
They are planning a grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration in June, which will include beverages and snacks, a raffle with a $100 gift certificate prize, and more.
Until then, you can get a sneak peek at what Kitsch Carson offers by stopping by the Kitsch Carson booth, no. 51, at the Carson City Antique Mall, or visit their Facebook here, their Instagram here, or at https://www.kitschcarson.com.