Type of business: Furniture and Home Decor

Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Closed on Sundays

Location: 231 E. Main St.

Contact information: 209-262-0688

Specialty: Up-cycled/restyled furniture

History of business:

Jennifer Roots-Souza of Rustic Roots in Turlock realized that she had a space issue at the store’s former location on Center Street, so she packed up shop and moved right down the road to a larger location.

“We ran out of room,” said Roots-Souza. “I expanded as much as I possibly could, but then I moved in here and am so glad I did.”

The shop’s new location on Main Street provides plenty of room for Roots-Souza and her variety of furniture and other home furnishings, and even has a workshop in the back where she can create her “upcycled” masterpieces.

Roots-Souza “upcycles” all of the furniture in the store, taking it from drab and dreary to trendy and like-new. A majority of the pieces are antiques that Roots-Souza finds at antique fairs around the Valley, and she even travels as far as the Bay Area to find some of the unique furniture sold in the store. She transforms each piece of furniture by cleaning it up and giving it a new, and sometimes colorful, exterior.

“I’m an artist at heart,” said Roots-Souza.

Along with furniture, Rustic Roots also offers plenty of other home furnishings, such as light fixtures, wall hangings and décor. Though Roots-Souza finds it hard to put a name to the store’s style, she told of a time a customer described it perfectly.

“She said, ‘I like your store because you’re not too country, you’re not too farm-y and you’re not too fancy.’ It’s kind of a little bit of everything; there’s a little bit of something for everyone.”

Another upside to Rustic Roots’ new location is the second floor, which Roots-Souza plans to eventually transform into an art studio where she can teach others her craft. She plans to start classes this winter and will teach participants how to “upcycle” furniture and create custom cabinets – something that comes naturally to Roots-Souza as a graduate of carpentry school.

Aside from the future art studio, Roots-Souza doesn’t see many changes coming for Rustic Roots in the future. What began as a desire to provide the community with quality work has now turned into a full-fledged business, and the new location fits in perfectly with her vision.

“I love it,” she said.