Troy Rash and Rod Billings haven’t lived in Galesburg for a month yet, but on Friday their shop, Bondgard will become the latest edition to the historic Seminary Street shopping district.The two seasoned collectors of antiques, hand-made items and farmhouse style decor thought they would continue their whole sale/online business out of their home that ran in Texas.
The coupled moved to town after Billings, who is a native of Galesburg, lost his mother.
Bondgard is the Swedish word for farmhouse.
Rash and Billings’ shop seems to be taylor-made for Seminary, with collectible, hand made items, antiques and farmhouse decor.
“Most of what we have here is either stuff we found in travels or actually most of what we have in the store right now is the stuff we’ve found since we got to Galesburg,” Rash says.
And looking around the store you get the impression they’ve hardly taken a break since they got here.
Their whole sale business consists of pillows and slip covers and things like vintage wall art and postcards.
They didn’t think they would open a store, at least not so quickly, but that all went out the window just days after arriving in town.
“Sunday we decided to take a break and walk around here on Seminary Street and there was a big sign up in the window and so we called Bill Boydstun, who belonged to the number and on the 11th we signed the lease and started moving in,” Billing says.
And they’ll be opening at an ideal time.
They’ll open their doors for the first time on Black Friday, from noon to 5p.m. at the location that in the past housed Cooks and Company.
When asked how he found a love for antiques, Rash says he’s always just liked “old stuff” and hates to see things go to the landfill when they still have some use.
That philosophy is also in the pair’s parent company for their ventures, “Do-Over.”
It’s only the two that sew the pillows and slip covers which Rash says they could “sell all day long” which they do all over the country.
They hope to possibly get some help sewing once they get settled and one day hope to start a sewing factory in Galesburg.
